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THE PATH IN THE RATINE. 


CHAPTER I. 

IN THE BEAR PAW MOUNTAIN'S. 

W HEN Russell Hillson entered the United 
States Military Academy at West 
Point, from one of the New England States, 
his resolution was that of almost every young 
gentleman admitted to that institution; he 
would graduate at the head of his class, which 
numbered 103. This is a commendable ambi¬ 
tion, since it ensures the best efforts of the 
cadet, but, inasmuch as only one budding gen¬ 
eral of the army can attain that distinction, it 
follows that the others must be disappointed. 

One of the shocks, to which the parents of 
the prim cadets are destined, is that of awak¬ 
ing to the fact that a young man may be the 
pride of his school at home, and display prom¬ 
ise of becoming one of the most distinguished 



2 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

of his countrymen, yet a few months at West 
Point are quite certain to bring out the fact 
that there are a great many in his class 
brighter than he. 

“I tell you our ’Lige will show ’em what’s 
what,” said Deacon Harris, when his only 
son and heir left home with his trunk, and 
his appointment from the Secretary of War ; 
“there isn’t a boy in Pike County that is 
his ekle ; he’ll do credit to Pennsylvany and 
more’n likely he’ll be put in teacher before 
he’s been there long; ’tween you and me I 
wouldn’t be s’prised if he took charge of 
things and run ’em, for ’Lige is as smart as 
they make ’em.” 

Alas, at the end of half a year Elijah joined 
the thirty-eight “found,” and went back to 
Pike County with the dismal word that the 
pace up the Hudson was too hot for him. 
His father was dumfounded, and for a time 
couldn’t understand it, but, with a knowing 
shake of his head, declared he was now con¬ 
vinced of what he had suspected all along: 
gross favoritism was shown in that school, 
which is really as free from it as any institu- 


IN THE BEAR PAW MOUNTAINS. 3 

tion in the world. Besides, lie knew the ad¬ 
ministration had learned of the active war he 
had waged in Pike County against it during 
the last election, and was mean enough to 
take this way of paying him off for his manly 
independence. 

But young Hillson was more fortunate, for 
nature and training had done much for him. 
He was mentally bright, had a line physique, 
was an excellent horseman, and possessed the 
rare good sense of knowing that the first duty 
of a soldier is to obey, and he always did it 
cheerfully. True, it was rather rough to be 
44 skinned” because the inspector detected a 
couple of drops of water on the bare floor of 
his room one day ; and when a large mosquito 
was boring into the end of his nose while at 
parade, he gave a quick flirt of his hand and 
not only smashed his tormentor but got a 
demerit at the same moment. 

A week later, when Yelverton of Arkansas 
came to the front at “rear open order,” he 
was sure he never saw a pair of ears stand 
out more comically than those on his nicely 
cropped head, and smiled. It was only a 


4 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

shadowy yielding of the facial muscles, but it 
was enough to win another demerit, as were 
slips which he made now and then. These 
strike the outsider as trifles light as air, 
but they have their weight at the institution, 
where, it may be said, discipline ranks all 
other attainments of the cadet. 

“ Grant and Sherman and Thomas and Lee 
and Sheridan and all the rest went through it, 
and I can,” muttered Hillson, closing his lips, 
and making sure that the candles, by which 
he was “boning” after taps, were so well 
screened by the blankets over the window and 
transom that no passing officer could detect a 
chance ray. 

At the end of the first year, when the class 
was reduced to an even sixty, Russell stood 
fourth, which was certainly a creditable 
record. He was still in the first section in 
all his studies. 

But the second year brought its stumbling 
block in the form of Church’s Calculus, which 
swung him into the second section. This was 
a good way from the “immortals,” in the 
sixth section, but nearer than he liked. He 


IN THE BEAR PAW MOUNTAINS. 5 

struggled hard and came within a hair of get¬ 
ting back, but he stepped over the threshold 
of the third year with the handicap still upon 
him. 

It was odd that on young Hillson’s nine¬ 
teenth birthday, when he strolled down to the 
gymnasium to examine the lists posted there, 
he discovered that at last he was in the first 
section again. Had it been a year later he 
would have received the usual “bumping” 
down by the sink, by which the other cadets 
love to express their congratulations. 

Mineralogy and petrography worried him 
the third year, and law was the lion in his 
path during his last terms. 

“ You are doing well,” said his old friend, 
General Hancock, “ for in these days any 
young man does well who succeeds in graduat¬ 
ing at all at West Point, where we old-timers 
would have to hustle from the beginning.” 

He might have taken consolation also from 
the fact stated by General Sherman, as late as 
June, 1889, when talking with a lot of us on 
the porch of the West Point Hotel, that the 
history of the West Point graduates shows 


6 THE PATH IH THE EAVINE. 

the record of the lowest five in each class ex¬ 
ceeds that of the highest five. 

Russell came out thirteenth in a class of 
fifty. This slid him below the engineers and 
into the artillery, but he took the cavalry by 
choice. He was fond of horses and fancied 
the exhilarating service on the frontier. He 
had a natural dread of the flaming climate of 
Arizona and the Southwest, and was greatly 
relieved, therefore, when he found himself 
assigned to the —th cavalry, at Fort Assina- 
boine, away up in Northern Montana, at the 
junction of the Big Sandy Creek and Milk 
River, and within the Indian Reservation of 
the Gros Ventre, Piegan, Blackfeet, and River 
Crow tribes. 

The Big Sandy Creek flows from the south¬ 
west, and like its own tributaries, Duck Creek, 
Box Elder, and smaller streams, has its source 
among the wild fastnesses of the Bear 
Paw Mountains, while the Beaver Creek, 
Peckham’s Creek, Clear Creek, Snake Creek, 
People’s Creek, and others, rise in the Little 
Rocky Mountains and flow into the Milk 
River to the east of the fort. 


IN THE BEAR PAW MOUNTAINS. 


7 


The first lieutenant of the —th cavalry was 
Albert Palmer of Illinois, several years older 
than Hillson, while Martin Draper, a grizzled 
colonel of the Civil War, was post commander. 
Many of the troopers had seen service on the 
battlefields of the south, and the force was one 
of the best on the frontier. 

The life of a soldier on the border is gener¬ 
ally of the most monotonous nature, consist¬ 
ing of the same round of parade, inspection, 
drill, and officer of the day duty, with hours 
of idleness between, enlivened now and then 
by some brisk marching toward a point whence 
have come reports of trouble that generally 
prove groundless. 

Naturally the attaches of such a remote post 
as Fort Assinaboine, located in one of the best 
hunting regions of the world, find time to look 
for game, which is tempting enough to attract 
professional sportsmen from the other side of 
the Atlantic. Thus it was no unusual thing 
for Lieutenants Palmer and Hillson to engage 
in an excursion among the rugged defiles of 
the Bear Paw Mountains, whenever permission 
could be obtained for that purpose. 


8 THE PATH IN THE EAYINE. 

Less than a score of miles to the south of 
the fort was a section which had become some¬ 
what familiar, for more than once they found 
the rarest and most stirring kind of enjoyment 
there. The young officers were always well 
mounted, their weapons consisting of a re¬ 
volver and magazine rifle, and in the autumn 
time the air was cool and bracing. 

It may not be generally known that the ele¬ 
vation of the greater part of the State of 
Montana is so slight, compared with the sur¬ 
rounding States and Territories, that the cli¬ 
mate is much milder than at other places of 
the same latitude. 

“I wonder where this trail would take us if 
followed to the end,” said Palmer, as his horse 
led the way up the gradual ascent, around 
bowlders, massive rocks, by the side of canons 
and chasms, where a misstep was like to bring 
irretrievable disaster. 

“I suppose,” replied Hillson, “that years 
ago, before the reservation was established, 
there was some village of Blackfeet or Crow 
Indians located among the wildest portions, 
that they might be safer from their enemies, 


IN THE BEAR PAW MOUNTAINS. 9 

and tliis mountain trail is the route by which 
the warriors reached the level country north¬ 
ward to hunt the buffaloes.” 

“ Some of these days, when we can gain the 
time, we will start on a little tour of explora¬ 
tion,” said Palmer, who, like his companion, 
was in high spirits at the prospect of a day’s 
sport in the mountains. 

“Holloa!” exclaimed Hillson, a moment 
later, observing that his friend in advance had 
halted, “ what’s up ? ” 

“ I suspect we are at the end of our tether,” 
laughed Palmer, turning his head ; “it looks 
as if the aboriginal authorities don’t keep 
their bridges in good-repair.” 

Hillson edged his mare ahead until her nose 
was at the haunch of the horse, when the rider, 
by peering forward, saw the cause of the ab¬ 
rupt stoppage. 

The mountain trail followed for some dis¬ 
tance the side of a range whose slopes were 
covered with a thick growth of timber and no 
end of rocks, bowlders, ravines, and chasms. 
The course was steadily ascending, but the 
path was not broad enough for the horsemen 


10 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

to ride abreast, and not infrequently was so 
narrow that, accustomed as they were to 
danger, they shrank close to the wall on their 
left, caught their breath, and asked themselves 
whether they were not taking more chances 
than was prudent. 

The trail, so far as they could judge, had not 
been travelled lately by a horseman, though 
any number of Indians or white hunters 
might have made their way over it on foot, 
without leaving traces that could have been 
detected except by the trained eye of the 
dusky red man. 

On the left was the mountain, and on the 
right the vast slope descended at such an angle 
that a bowlder once started would crash to the 
bottom, hundreds of feet below, with almost 
resistless momentum. A man might save 
himself by grasping the trees and taking 
advantage of the interposing rocks and ob¬ 
structions, but it would have taken a good 
deal of skill and much outlay of strength. 


CHAPTER II. 


AN IMPRESSIVE SCENE. 

D IRECTLY in front of Lieutenant Palmer 
tlie ledge along which they were thread¬ 
ing their way was broken by a rent a couple of 
yards wide. It looked as if some enormous 
rock, starting near the crest of the mountain, 
had shot downward with terrific force, and 
bounding aloft, dropped upon this section of 
the path, carrying it away like so much card¬ 
board. 

“ There seems to be nothing the matter with 
it just beyond,” remarked Hillson, rising in 
his stirrups and looking over the shoulder of 
his friend, “ and it is no jump for either of 
our animals.” 

“That isn’t the trouble,” replied Palmer; 
“but, after the leap, will their hoofs land on 
solid ground ? If not, we shall take a tobog¬ 
gan slide into the gorge, without a chance of 
climbing up again.” 


11 


12 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

It was a serious question, and the young 
officers debated it several minutes before de¬ 
ciding upon their course. They had pene¬ 
trated so far that they were loath to turn back, 
while, with all their pluck, they hesitated to 
advance. 

“An elephant tests a shaky structure before 
trusting it,” said Hillson, “and that’s what 
we will do.” 

“How?” 

“I’ll show you,” he replied, slipping from 
his saddle and taking the mare by the bit. 
With a few gentle words, he backed her sev¬ 
eral paces and then asked Palmer to do the 
same. “We shall have to back further than 
this to find a place broad enough for them to 
turn round,” he explained, as the first lieu¬ 
tenant imitated him. “How let me pass,” 
added Hillson, placing himself in front of his 
companion, who watched his movements with 
no little interest. Hillson gave no further ex¬ 
planation, but, finding himself in advance, 
paused a moment, as if measuring with his 
eye the yawning abyss before him. Then, 
gathering his muscles, he ran swiftly to the 


AN IMPRESSIVE SCENE. 


13 


edge of tlie break, and with a vigorous bound 
landed on the other side. 

The meaning of this action was manifest: 
he wished to examine the trail where their 
horses must alight. Stooping over, he tested 
the flinty ground by means of his hands and 
feet. 

“It’s all right,” he said, addressing his 
friend, “you needn’t be afraid to try it.” 

“Of course not, if I follow your style ; make 
room for me.” 

A short, rapid run, and he dropped in front 
of the other, who stepped back to give him 
space. 

The intelligent animals watched the action 
of their riders and awaited orders to follow 
them. Palmer called his steed by name and 
he instantly obeyed, while a single whistle of 
Hillson to Kitty brought her almost upon the 
heels of the leader. 

The animals caused some misgiving, for 
their greater weight was sure to put the edge 
of the trail to a severer test than did the 
youths, who made sure of clearing by several 
feet. The mare did not deem it worth while 


14 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

to exert herself to the degree of her predeces¬ 
sors, and, as a consequence, one of her hoofs 
knocked the dirt loose and she sank as if about 
to go over the precijoice. Hillson called sharply 
to her and sprang forward to seize her bit, 
but, before he could do so, she struggled to 
her feet, regained her poise, and shook her 
pretty head as if to say: 

“ Don’t worry about me, young man ; I can 
take care of myself.” 

The officers remounted, and once more 
moved up the mountain trail, along which 
they had already advanced further than ever 
before. Their experience taught them to be 
guarded, for other gaps were likely to be 
found, and treacherous foundations were apt 
to occur where everything looked solid and 
safe. 

The afternoon was half gone, and the sky, 
which was clear when they left the fort, was 
clouded and had every appearance of a coming 
storm. From the fort, they had witnessed a 
great fall of rain in the direction of the moun¬ 
tains a couple of days before, but feared no 
inconvenience therefrom, though the pools of 


AN IMPRESSIVE SCENE. 


15 


water in tlie hollows showed that the warm sun 
had not yet evaporated all the moisture. 

Some of the older men had warned them 
against venturing in the mountains, where the 
rush of water in the pent up canons was 
often sudden and resistless, as in the appalling 
calamity which not long since desolated 
Johnstown and the surrounding country, but 
the young officers were ardent and hopeful, 
and, like many others of their age and limited 
experience, were confident they knew how to 
take care of themselves. 

They were pushing their way up the moun¬ 
tain trail in the guarded manner shown from 
the first, when Palmer, still a short way in 
advance, lial ted with the abruptness of before. 

“ Is it another break?” called his companion. 

“ Yes, but not of the other kind,” replied 
Palmer, partly turning his head as before. 

“ Have we reached the end of the road—well, 
I declare! ” 

The exclamation was caused by the sudden 
disappearance of the leader. Had not Hillson 
been looking directly at him, he would have 
believed the ground had given away under the 


16 


THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 


lioofs of his horse and let him and his rider 
down to destruction ; but nothing of the kind 
took place. Palmer had turned the head of 
his steed to the left, and ridden seemingly 
straight into the solid mountain, as if entering 
the door to some mysterious cavern. 

But they were not in a land of mystery, and 
Hillson twitched the rein of Kitty, who stepped 
more briskly. A few paces further and, with¬ 
out any direction from her rider, she, too, 
turned sharply to the left, passing out of 
sight of anyone moving along the trail, either 
above or below the point of vanishment. 

The mountain wall which they had followed 
so long seemed to have been rent apart by 
some convulsion of nature, ages before, leaving 
a rent several yards wide, which wound indefi¬ 
nitely in front of them. The bottom, although 
rough and uneven, was comparatively level, 
offering such easy travel for their animals 
that the change of direction was made with 
but slight hesitation on the part of the 
leader. 

At the moment of turning into this “side 
issue,” as it may be called, Hillson saw his 


AN IMPRESSIVE SCENE. 


17 


companion only two or three rods in advance. 
The chasm was broad enough for them to ride 
abreast, and he checked his horse for the 
younger to join him. 

44 1 don’t know how far this can be traced,” 
said Palmer, 4 4 but it struck me as worth look¬ 
ing into.” 

44 You look into it before entering,” replied 
Hillson, 44 and it may prove more extensive 
than the other. However, if it has not too 
many branches we ought to be in no danger 
of getting lost.” 

As the couple progressed it began to look 
as if they were entering a land of wonders and 
enchantment. The channel gradually widened 
until it was a hundred feet broad. This in¬ 
creased after a time to double that extent, 
which, so far as they could learn, was its great¬ 
est width. The mountains rose on either 
hand to a height of three, four, and even five 
hundred feet. The sides were composed of 
enormous gray rocks, with irregular projec¬ 
tions, a huge mass sometimes reaching so far 
out over the gorge that it seemed on the point 
of toppling over and falling with a crash that 


18 the path in the ravine. 

would have crushed everything beneath into 
fragments. 

Between the many layers of rocks and bowl¬ 
ders were patches of dirt, which afforded 
enough sustenance to numerous stunted pines 
for them to acquire a sturdy foothold with 
which they had defied the storms. These 
seemed to shoot out in many places from 
cracks in the rocks themselves, where no earth 
could be discerned (though of course it must 
have been there), after which the tough, wiry 
trunks curved upward, so that the crests of 
the trees, like all vegetation everywhere, was 
turned toward the point where the sun first 
showed itself. 

There were other places where a species of 
running vine of ivy clung to the jagged masses 
of stone and climbed upward, as it does along 
the walls of the old baronial castles of the 
Khine, smothering all things in its path, and 
reaching for others beyond. 

There were spots along the upper edge of 
the ravine which must have been attained 
long before, for the green vine kept on grow¬ 
ing until it tottered several feet above its sup- 


AN IMPRESSIVE SCENE. 


19 


port, the beautiful top so delicately balanced, 
that, as the wondering youths gazed upward 
at it, it was seen to sway gently back and forth 
in the gentle breeze which was not to be felt 
by them in the gorge below. 

Here and there among this wealth of vege¬ 
tation a violet flower gleamed like a jewel 
against the emerald background, while the 
trunk of one huge vine that had been detached 
dangled downward as if it were an immense 
serpent watching for its prey in the depths 
below. 

By a common impulse the young officers 
drew the reins of their animals and looked 
around them, impressed and awed by the 
striking scene. They had been among the 
mountains before, but never had they beheld 
such a sight as this. 

“ This is worth a long journey to see,’ 5 re¬ 
marked Palmer, in tones unconsciously low¬ 
ered, as a person will modulate his voice when 
standing within the cool shadows of some vast 
cathedral. 

“Yes; nature laughs at the efforts of man 
to rival her grandeur and power. What a 


20 


THE PATH IN THE KAVINE. 


prodigious earthquake it must have been that 
wrenched these mountains asunder ! ” 

4 ‘And why should it have been an earth¬ 
quake, when the same power that creates the 
earthquake could fashion this temple?” 

“Only that the strata on the sides of the 
gorge correspond so closely that they must 
have been once joined together.” 

“ I have noticed that, and probably you are 
right, but—look ! ” 


CHAPTER III. 


AT BAT. 



T the point where the young officers had 


halted the wild gorge was fully two 
hundred feet wide, the vast walls of gray and 
black rock on either hand being covered in 
places with dwarf pine and vines, as already 
described, while the trees far above their heads 
grew in most places to the very edge of the 
ravine. 

This gorge, instead of following a straight 
course through the mountains, trended so 
often to the right and left that the view both 
in front and rear was brief. A stone’s throw 
in either direction would have brought one to 
a curve which shut out everything beyond. 

The bottom of the ravine was strewn with 
huge bowlders and rocks, which forced the 
horsemen to pick their way in and out among 
them, sometimes riding close to one side and 
then obliged to pass to the other, before they 


21 


22 THE PATH IN THE KAVINE. 

could make their way forward. The pools of 
water in the hollows, between the loose bowl¬ 
ders, were connected by a rivulet which showed 
that at times huge bodies of water rushed 
through the gorge in the direction of the 
mountain trail left some time before. 

This stream must have possessed a subterra¬ 
nean outlet, since the point where the horse¬ 
men turned to the left from the main path 
was perfectly dry. 

That which caused the exclamation of Lieu¬ 
tenant Palmer was a unique scene. At the 
highest point of the walls above their heads, 
and only a short distance in advance, a mass 
of rock, weighing many tons, obtruded over 
the gorge, expanding as it advanced, until the 
wonder was how such a colossal pile could be 
sustained by the neck of stone joining it to 
the mainland. 

This of itself, while striking and picturesque, 
was not the attraction to the young horsemen. 
At the moment Lieutenant Palmer cast his 
eye toward it, he observed an animal picking 
his way along the rough top toward the outer¬ 
most point over the gorge. The stone was 


AT BAY. 


23 


not covered by vine, tree, or a shred of vege¬ 
tation, so the animal was in plain sight. 

“ It is a big-horn sheep,” whispered Palmer, 
“and what is he going to do \ ” 

“ It looks as if he meant to try a leap to the 
other side.” 

“He is not such a fool as that, when it is 
fully two hundred feet, and the big-horn isn’t 
lacking in brains.” 

“We shall soon see.” 

The animal continued his walk until at the 
furthest point from the edge of the ravine, 
when, of necessity, he stopped. He gave only 
a glance at the other side, which was far 
beyond his reach, when he stopped and looked 
about him. The watchful creature was quick 
to perceive the horsemen, hundreds of feet 
below, in the gorge, and, as they looked up at 
him, he returned the stare by elevating his 
head and gazing enquiringly down at them. 

The animal must have felt himself safe at 
that great height, for, although very timid by 
nature, he showed no signs of fright, and 
seemed to find something interesting in the 
sight of the tiny figures far below, where they 


24 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

were probably the first white men who had 
entered. 

The big-horn sheep is a widely distributed 
animal, ranging along the mountain chains of 
the Great Divide from the arid tablelands of 
Central Mexico to the frozen regions of British 
America. During the warm weather he climbs 
the loftiest mountains, often passing above the 
timber line, while during the blizzard season he 
descends to the foot-hills or migrates south¬ 
ward. 

In Mexico, the animal is known as the cim- 
maron sheep, and is the only representative of 
the various kinds of mountain sheep of the 
Old World. Their weight sometimes reaches 
four hundred pounds, and, because of their 
skill in climbing the mountain crags and their 
alertness against danger, they are regarded as 
among the choicest prizes of the Rocky Moun¬ 
tain hunter. 

The sheep on which the young officers 
looked, it was easy to see, despite its great 
elevation, was one of the largest of its kind. 
Both were stirred by the thought of bringing 
down such a noble specimen of game. 


AT BAY. 


25 


“I tliink we can reach him,” said Palmer, 
after watching the animal for a minute or two. 

“ I have no doubt of it, but it seems a pity 
to wing him, after showing such confidence 
in us.” 

“I think it is rather a lack of confidence in 
our marksmanship,” added the elder, with a 
laugh, “but he does make a fine picture.” 

The buck was furnished with a magnificent 
pair of horns, which curved backward over his 
neck, and, because of the elevated position of 
his head, formed the most prominent features 
of the creature. 

Since the two had come out for game, it 
was hardly in keeping that they should refuse 
to take advantage of the unexpected chance 
thrown in their way. Despite the sentimen¬ 
tality of the younger officer, the elder dis¬ 
mounted, in order to take the more careful 
aim at the sheep, when something in his action 
caused him to hesitate. 

“ The fellow is cornered,” said Hillson. 

The remark was caused by the sight of a 
huge gaunt wolf, which was now seen sneaking 
out on the projecting rock after the sheep, 


26 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

which it will be seen was canglit in a bad box, 
for while retreat was cut off, he could not 
reach the mainland without walking directly 
into the embrace of his enemy, who saw the 
finest dinner of his life almost within his jaws. 

“ Now, if you want to test your marksman¬ 
ship, Palmer, let us try it on that brute that 
is after him.” 

“Wait a minute ; every animal is provided 
by nature with some means of defence. A 
sheep isn’t a very dangerous creature, but even 
he will fight when driven into a corner, and the 
old fellow may make better use of those fine 
horns than we suspect.” 

But Hillson saw so little hope for the poor 
fellow that he was not inclined to wait. While 
the wolf was stealing toward the animal, he 
sighted his Winchester with great care at the 
former and fired. The shot was a difficult one, 
owing to the unusual position of the wolf, and 
there was no evidence that he had been hit. 
Neither he nor the big-horn started or looked 
down at the point whence the report came. 
Just then their mutual interest was too in¬ 
tense. 


AT BAY. 


27 


The sheep stood for several seconds staring 
at the wolf drawing slowly but surely near. 
He seemed to become panic-stricken, and 
started forward in a timid way, as if he ex¬ 
pected to flank his enemy, but the space was 
too narrow, and the savage brute was too 
watchful. The sheep hastily withdrew again 
to the further edge of his support, whei*e he 
could not retreat another step without falling 
into the gorge below. Here he stood with 
head still erect, and eye fixed upon the beast 
approaching with the slow certainty of death 
itself. 

After his single shot Hillson did not repeat 
the attempt, but, like his companion, gave his 
whole attention to the singular tragedy draw¬ 
ing to a crisis before his eyes. Could he have 
been certain of tumbling the wolf from his 
perch he would have fired again, but, since the 
big-horn seemed doomed under any circum¬ 
stances, he preferred the simple part of spec¬ 
tator. 

When the wolf was within about ten feet, 
the sheep lowered his head as if he meant to 
make a fight to the death. He could do some- 


28 THE PATH IN THE KAVINE. 

tiling with those horns, but, after all, they 
amounted to little against the greater strength, 
activity, and means of defence possessed by his 
assailant. 

The latter crouched on his belly, as if gath¬ 
ering his muscles for a spring. He must have 
known the risk he ran, for the sheep was so 
close to .the edge that the momentum was 
likely to throw both over, unless the defender 
should brace himself to withstand the shock. 

For several seconds neither animal stirred. 
The wolf lay flat, with jaws parted, and the 
spectators in the gorge far below fancied they 
could hear the exultant snarling, as he meas¬ 
ured the distance separating them and pre¬ 
pared for his fatal leap. 

The splendid big-horn, balanced on the very 
edge of the bewildering height, waited with 
his head lowered for the charge. Had he 
possessed straight, pointed horns like the 
species of ibex of the Dark Continent, he 
might have done effective w T ork, but, as it 
was, he was helpless against his merciless 
enemy. 


CHAPTER IV. 


A CEY FEOM THE DAKKNESS. 

I T may have been that in that supreme 
moment a realizing sense of his helpless¬ 
ness overwhelmed the big-horn, for suddenly, 
without the least thought of any such thing 
on the part of the spectators, he wheeled about, 
so as to face the other way, and made a single 
tremendous leap straight out into space. 

It was a thrilling sight as the despairing 
animal, with his head thrown far back, so that 
his curving horns lay on the soft wool on his 
neck, and his shapely legs gathered under 
him, went sailing out into the air. His 
body described a beautiful parabola, until, 
reaching the further point, it shot straight 
downward like a stone, its velocity accelerated, 
until it struck the rocks at the bottom with a 
violence that must have shattered every bone 
and driven out the breath of life as if smitten 
with a bolt of lightning. 

29 


30 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

The big-horn saw it was simply a choice of 
deaths, and he wisely chose the least painful. 
It was a case of deliberate suicide, in which the 
guilty party cannot be condemned. 

The wolf seemed puzzled by what had taken 
place. The instant the sheep made his leap 
he rose upon his four feet, and watching him 
for the instant he was in sight, while he held 
that position, he trotted to the edge, and, 
with his nose thrust over the rock, gazed 
downward at the body descending with such 
dizzying swiftness, until it lay a shapeless 
mass at the bottom of the gorge. Then, as if 
he understood the base trick that had been 
played upon him, he pointed his snout toward 
the darkening sky and uttered one long dis¬ 
mal howl of disappointment and rage. 

“ Let’s try it,” said Hillson, sighting his 
Winchester at the beast; “he deserves death 
for his meanness.” 

Palmer was more than willing, and he also 
levelled his weapon at the wolf, which was in 
the act of repeating his wail when both guns 
were discharged at the same moment. 

The bullets hit him fairly, and the howl 


A CRY FROM THE DARKNESS. 31 

which was issuing from his throat changed to 
a short yelp, as he leaped straight up in 
air, doubled together like a jack-knife, and 
came down on his side, rolling over several 
times, and, swinging clear of his support, 
came sprawling through the air to the bottom 
of the gorge, striking within a few feet of the 
suicidal big-horn and as devoid of life as he. 

By this time the sky had grown so dark 
that there could be no doubt that a storm was 
at hand. Yivid flashes of lightning darted 
across the sky which spanned the ravine, but 
it was seen that its violence would be spent 
further in the mountains, and that at the 
worst the officers would receive nothing more 
than a severe drenching—an inconvenience 
which they had learned to bear with equa¬ 
nimity. 

It was useless to turn about and ride down 
the gorge, for they were fully a mile from the 
point of junction with the mountain trail, 
which, if reached, would afford them no better 
shelter than they could obtain where they 
were. 

“I don’t think we need suffer much,” re- 


32 THE PATH IN TIIE EAVINE. 

marked Hillson, who was scanning their sur¬ 
roundings ; “this place looks as if it can give 
us something in the way of shelter.’’ 

A short way beyond the point where the two 
carcasses lay, they observed an inward trend 
of the rocky wall on their right, the cavity 
looking extensive enough to afford protection 
for their animals as well as themselves against 
the rain, provided no wind drove it in against 
them. Such a gust was not likely to be en¬ 
countered at the bottom of the gorge, since 
there was scarcely room for its formation. 

Leaping into their saddles, they guided 
their horses thither, and were glad enough to 
find the refuge better than it appeared at first. 

They dismounted and drove their ponies as 
far beneath as possible, and found that an 
immense mass of rock, hardly twenty feet 
above their heads, projected outward, shelter¬ 
ing them from any storm that might come. 

“ I think this is the place to make our ctimp 
for the night,” remarked Hillson, after survey¬ 
ing their refuge. 

“ I don’t believe we can find a better one,” 
was the reply of Palmer, equally well pleased ; 


A CEY FROM TIIE DARKNESS. 33 

“but we ought to have fuel to last us through 
the darkness.” 

The rain had not yet begun falling, though 
the peals of thunder were almost incessant, 
and it was evident it was descending heavily 
deeper in the mountains. But it was liable to 
reach them at any minute, and no time was to 
be lost. 

The gathering of fuel was an easy matter. 
At times this gorge had served as a canon or 
outlet for a vast amount of water from the 
heart of the rugged range, which had brought 
trees, limbs, sticks, and debris in such quanti¬ 
ties that it was deposited on every hand. 

Much of this stuff had lain so long exposed 
to the elements that it was as dry as tinder 
wood. Leaving their rifles leaning against the 
rocks by their ponies, the couple began col¬ 
lecting the fuel with a vigor which showed they 
understood the value of time. As soon as one 
had his arms full, he ran to the spot selected 
and threw it to the ground. This was con¬ 
tinued until a large pile was gathered, fully 
enough to last them till daybreak, even if kept 
burning continually. 

3 


34 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

Here and there at the sides, and in the 
middle of the gorge, were patches of grass 
which their ponies would have been eager to 
nibble, but they did not wish to expose them 
to the storm, now threatening to burst at any 
moment. 

The youths, therefore, gave their energies 
to plucking the grass for their animals. With 
the time at their disposal they secured a 
goodly quantity, which, if not as much as the 
animals could have disposed of, was sufficient 
to keep them from suffering. 

The friends would have gathered more of 
the succulent grass, but, while they were busy, 
great drops of water began pattering about 
them, striking the rocks with a noise like 
splintering hail. They skurried to shelter, 
and feeling they had done all that was pos¬ 
sible, calmly awaited the breaking of the 
storm. 

It proved less violent than was expected. 
The drops, although of unusual size and dart¬ 
ing downward with a force which made each 
one audible, were not numerous nor did they 
continue long. There could be no question, 


A CRY FROM THE DARKNESS. 35 

however, that the floodgates of heaven were 
opened over the mountains not far off. 

But the darkness was awe-inspiring. It 
became like that of night itself, illumined now 
and then by vivid flashes of lightning which 
left the gloom the more intense because of 
the violent contrast. The sun was so low in 
the sky that had there been no clouding of its 
face a deep twilight would have reigned in 
the gorge, and it was now relieved only by the 
awful electric display in the heavens. 

The ponies showed their indifference to the 
grandeur of the display by calmly munching 
the fodder that had been laid before them, 
while their masters stood side by side, their 
hats in their hands, silent, admiring, wonder¬ 
ing, and adoring the source of all this amazing 
power. 

For a full hour there was no diminution. 
Then the storm subsided almost as rapidly as 
it had risen. The sullen mutterings of the 
thunder continued, but they receded until 
they were heard only now and then, while the 
flashes were so much weaker that they only 
^partly lit up the darkness at long intervals. 


36 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

“ Since niglit is here,” suggested Hillson, 
“ it is a good time to start a camp fire.” 

“ The idea isn’t bad,” replied Palmer, set¬ 
ting to work to help, carry out the advice. 

The rude shelter proved all they could wish. 
Not a drop of moisture reached man or animal, 
and the fuel, therefore, was in the best con¬ 
dition. It required only a few minutes, when 
a cheery blaze was kindled against the back 
wall and its rays were thrown far out in the 
surrounding gloom, revealing the couple and 
their horses with the distinctness of mid-day. 

They had brought a lunch with them, though 
it would be supposed that in such a fine 
hunting country they ought to have been able 
to rely on their own markmsansliip. 

“It strikes me,” remarked Hillson, while 
the two ate their bread and. cold meat, “that 
that mutton ought to be palatable. The big¬ 
horn did not depart this life in the fashion we 
would have preferred, but it ought not to 
make much difference, after all.” 

“It is easy enough to find out,” replied 
Palmer, “for the body isn’t far off.” 

Without catching up his rifle, the younger 


A CRY FROM THE DARKNESS. 37 

sprang to his feet and walked out in the gorge. 
The darkness was so profound that he could 
not see a half-dozen feet from him, but he 
knew the spot so well that he was confident of 
making his way to it without hesitation ; but 
in case he went astray, he could strike a 
match to guide him aright. 

The moment he disappeared Lieutenant 
Palmer set to work getting things ready for 
broiling the meat, which he was confident 
would prove toothsome to a degree. 

“ It will give us the kind of meal to relish, 
for Hillson is as hungry as I am, and I am so 
hungry I cannot be any hungrier; there is 
nothing like this bracing mountain air to give 
a fellow an appetite that is unknown in the 

effete civilization of the East-” 

He sprang to his feet as if shot, for at that 
moment the cry of the plucky Hillson rang 
out with startling distinctness: 

“Quick, Palmer! your gun! don’t lose a 
second! ” 



CHAPTER Y. 


STIRRING TIMES, 


EUTEHANT HILLSON cannot be blamed 



for leaving the camp fire in the dark gorge 
for such a brief walk without carrying his 
loaded Winchester with him. He had hunted 
often enough in the Bear Paw Mountains to 
know r that wild men and animals were liable 
to put in an appearance at the most inoppor¬ 
tune times, but the oldest frontiersman would 
have done just as he did under the circum¬ 
stances. 

He left the camp fire, as will be remembered, 
to secure a portion of the carcass of the big¬ 
horn that committed suicide a short time 
before. The spot was not far off, and he made 
his way with considerable confidence, but 
when he halted at the place where he sup¬ 
posed it to be, he was disappointed. 

When his eyes became accustomed to the 
gloom he was able to see perhaps eight or ten 


38 


STIRRING TIMES. 


39 


feet from him. He was hesitating whether to 
try the effect of a match held over his head or 
to return to the fire for a brand, when he was 
started by a low cavernous growl, not in front, 
but directly behind him. 

Turning his head like a flash, he saw out¬ 
lined against the blazing camp fire the form 
of the most gigantic grizzly bear on which his 
eyes had ever rested. 

The lieutenant comprehended the situation 
at once. He had passed by the carcass of the 
big-horn, to which Old Ephraim had been at¬ 
tracted, and the monster paid no attention to 
him until he began groping for the meat. This 
brought bim so near the bear that the latter 
was angered, and, ceasing his feast for a mo¬ 
ment, proceeded to attack the lieutenant with 
vigor. 

It was at this juncture that Hillson called 
for re-enforcements, and the startled Palmer 
caught up his rifle and dashed to his help. 

The latter was under an almost fatal disad¬ 
vantage for the space of a few seconds. He 
had been engaged in preparing the fire for 
broiling the mutton which he expected his 


40 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

companion to bring to the spot in the course 
of a few minutes. The glare of the blaze and 
coals in his eyes made him literally blind 
when he wheeled and ran to the aid of 
Hillson. 

Since the younger officer was further out in 
the gorge than either his friend or the bear, 
the movements of the two were plainly shown 
against the background of the fire. Hillson 
could hardly expect to know the curious 
danger in which Palmer was placed because of 
the glare in his eyes, but lie was astonished 
when he saw him run straight toward the bear 
without raising his rifle to.fire. 

The fact was Palmer could not see the 
brute, though the latter and Hillson saw him 
plainly. 

“Look out!” called his friend, beginning 
to suspect something was wrong ; “ he’ll have 
you! ” 

Palmer was on the point of stopping, when 
his foot struck one of the bowlders, and in 
stumbling he was forced to drop his rifle to 
save himself from injury. 

“Confound it!” he called, “I can’t see 


STIRRING TIMES. 


41 


any tiling, Hillson ; get your gun and give him 
a shot!” 

Hillson would have been eager to do this 
had not the appeal of his friend frightened 
him. If he should run to camp, now some 
distance off, the grizzly was likely to kill 
Palmer before he could return. The true 
course, it would seem, was to secure the gun 
of Palmer and use that upon him. Mean¬ 
while, each had his revolver at command. 

Drawing the latter weapon (in which it must 
be confessed he had little faith), Hillson 
opened on the monster, more with the hope of 
frightening him off than of doing him any 
harm. At the same time, with the aid of the 
light from the camp fire, he saw that Palmer 
had fallen to the ground. He knew, however, 
that such being the case was no evidence that 
he had lost his self-command, unless he had 
been stunned by the mishap. 

The grizzly was pushing things. Those vast 
creatures, when once roused, fear nothing on 
earth. He was quietly banqueting on moun¬ 
tain mutton when he perceived the figure of a 
man passing by in the gloom. The brute was 


42 


THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 


ready to receive him, but inasmuch as he con¬ 
tinued on, he did not think it worth while to 
stop his feasting to dispose of him. 

But when Hillson, not satisfied with being 
left alone, turned about and approached, the 
grizzly raised his bloody snout from the meal 
and warned him off by his growl. The brute 
might have suspended hostilities had not a 
second intruder put in an appearance at 
this juncture with a gun. That was too 
much, and, as has already been shown, the 
grizzly went for the second arrival with a 
vim and vigor that could not have been sur¬ 
passed. 

Like the ordinary black bear, he rose partly 
on his haunches, and reached out his beam¬ 
like paws to gather the young officer to his 
embraces, when the latter stumbled and went 
forward on his hands and knees. 

Palmer showed a quickness of resource 
which would have done credit to a veteran 
frontiersman, for, knowing the imminence of 
his peril, he avoided the fatal mistake of rising 
directly to liis feet. Instead of that, he rolled 
to the right with the quickness of an acrobat, 


STIRRING TIMES. 


43 


and, turning on his hands, held a crouching 
posture until he could run several paces before 
standing upright. 

This was quick work, but it compelled 
him to give up his gun, for had he stopped to 
grope around for that, the mountainous body 
would have descended upon him like an ava¬ 
lanche. 

Palmer did not forget, too, that his pistol 
was with him ; for, while Hillson was popping 
away, he joined in the fusillade, which became 
of the liveliest character, though it served no 
more as a deterrent than a bombardment of 
pebbles. 

“Why don’t you use your Winchester?” 
called Hillson, thinking his friend had for¬ 
gotten himself for the moment. 

“ I haven’t got it to use ; I think the bear 
is going to open fire with it.” 

Understanding from this that the brute was 
too near the weapon for it to be recovered just 
then, Hillson made a dash for the camp fire to 
secure his own, calling to his friend to retreat 
in the same direction until matters took better 
form for them. 


44 


THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 


No time was to be lost, and the space to be 
travelled was so brief that Hillson was at the 
camp the next moment. 

Matters there were not in the most pleasing 
shape. The horses were quick to snuff dan¬ 
ger, probably learning of the presence of* the 
grizzly as soon as did their owners. The 
ponies were not tied, and when Hillson looked 
around without seeing them, he did not need 
to be told what it meant. They had fled in 
the darkness. 

“ But they will be back,” he reflected, re¬ 
membering how well they were trained, though 
he could not lose sight of the probability that 
they too might become involved in danger. 

But the minutes were too precious to give 
any thought to them. Palmer had changed 
places with Hillson, and himself was in urgent 
need of re-enforcements. 

There was one fact in favor of the young 
officers—the grizzly was not in need of addi¬ 
tional supper, though his enormous capacity 
in the eating line would have enabled him to 
use one of the West Pointers as a dessert to 
the main meal upon the big-horn and wolf. 


STIRRING TIMES. 


45 


The fact that such a tempting carcass awaited 
him on the ground, only a few feet away, 
somewhat restrained his fierceness, else Lieu¬ 
tenant Palmer might not have escaped so easily 
after his fall in front of the brute. 

A number of the pistol shots must have 
struck him, and they roused the dormant fury 
of his nature. He felt the smarts, and could 
not fail to know that the young men near him 
were the guilty ones. 

The flashing of the weapons and their sharp 
reports, almost in his eyes, bewildered him 
slightly, though they could not divert his 
attack. He had set out to make mince meat 
of Lieutenant Palmer of the United States 
Army, and he allowed no other business to 
turn him aside. 

By the time this curious pursuit had fairly 
begun, Palmer was fast regaining his eyesight. 
Everyone knows that the pupil of the eye 
quickly accommodates itself to the violent 
contrasts of light and darkness, though it can¬ 
not do so instantaneously. 

It would have required a nimble man to 
elude the grizzly when the advantages were 


46 THE PATH IN THE EAVINE. 

equal, but the fugitive was better placed than 
his pursuer. 

A friendly bowlder was turned to good 
account by Palmer, who deftly interposed it 
between him and his cumbrous foe. The 
latter, in his eagerness to reach him, tried to 
clamber over the obstruction. The clatter of 
liis immense nails against the flinty surface 
gave the young officer a vivid idea of what his 
fate would be if the huge brute but once got 
him in his power. 

He had emptied his revolver into him with 
no effect other than that already named. The 
animal’s wrath was intensified, and he pushed 
liis assault like a giant blinded by his own 
fury. 

Palmer did not dare resort to a direct flight, 
for the bear could travel faster than he—his 
only hope being that of dodging him until 
Hillson brought his Winchester into play. It 
seemed to him the lieutenant was a long while 
in getting into action, but the seconds are 
unusually long at such times, and the gloom 
kept his friend from using his weapon until 
sure of not injuring Palmer himself. 


CHAPTER VI. 


THE CAMP FIRE IN THE GORGE. 

T HE situation ' was peculiar. So long as 
Lieutenant Hillson could hold the bear 
and Palmer between him and the camp fire, he 
was able to distinguish their movements with 
tolerable accuracy, but, in the furious pursuit 
and flight, this could not continue. Besides, 
Hillson was in a state of terror lest his com¬ 
panion, through some slip or mishap, should 
be seized before he could interpose. 

Matters were going with a rush, and the 
impetuosity of Hillson brought about the very 
misfortune he dreaded for the other. He 
came down to a walk and, believing he saw a 
chance for a fair shot, raised his Winchester, 
and was in the act of sighting when he caught 
his foot under a flat stone and fell headlong 
before he could check himself. 

The rifle was not only discharged, but it was 
knocked from his hand, so that his fall was 

47 


48 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

the same as tlie one which overtook Palmer a 
few minutes before. 

44 Confound it! ” he muttered, “ it seems as 
if the fates are against us.” 

4 ‘Take better aim next time!” called 
Palmer ; 44 your bullet nipped my cheek, and 
don’t wait so long, for this is getting warm.” 

Fortunately the rifle had fallen within 
reach, and, before rising, Hillson had it in his 
hands again. He saw the grizzly only a short 
way off, and, balancing himself on one knee, 
lie took careful aim and pulled the trigger. 

But no answering report followed. To his 
dismay he found that the weapon had been so 
injured by the fall that it was useless. But 
for that he was confident he would have 
brought down the beast with a single ball. 
Hoping he was mistaken, he tried again, but 
in vain. 

44 My gun is broken,” he called to his friend ; 
44 work your way back to camp, for I can’t 
help you! ” 

44 Get there ahead of me,” replied Palmer, 
44 and try fire on him.” 

Hillson followed the suggestion on the 


THE CAMP FIRE IN THE GORGE. 49 

instant. He daslied to the burning fagots, 
dropped his gun, quickly drew out a torch, 
and circling it above his head, fanned it into 
a vigorous blaze. 

This was done on the run, as may be said, 
for he did not stop the vigorous circling until 
he was almost upon the brute. The glare of 
the torch gave him enough light to save his 
falling while in such haste. 

He could not have arrived more opportunely. 
Palmer was almost exhausted, and he had 
had more than one escape which could not 
have been narrower. Once, he actually felt 
the tip of a long claw against his face, and he 
repeated the prayer that had been on his lips 
more than once since being pressed so hard. 

Hillson took all possible chances, and halt¬ 
ing, jammed the flaming torch almost into the 
eyes of the grizzly. This was a terror which 
neither he nor any quadruped can stand. It 
did that which the Winchesters could not be 
made to do. It frightened him into a sullen 
withdrawal, leaving the young officers safe 
for the time. 

As soon as it was seen that he had retreated, 
4 


50 


THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 


though he was likely-to return to the attack 
at any moment, Palmer made a break for the 
camp tire, calling to Hillson to do the same. 
The latter was but a moment behind him. 

Before speaking, the elder threw a lot of fuel 
on the flames, which quickly spread until their 
glare reached far out in the gorge, showing 
numerous bowlders and rocks, though the 
grizzly was beyond the circle of illumination. 

“I say, Hillson,” said the panting lieuten¬ 
ant, “ what is your opinion of hunting grizzly 
bears?” 

Hillson looked behind him to make sure the 
particular specimen which had caused all this 
rumpus was not within sight, before replying: 

“Well, when you get fairly into it, things 
are apt to move lively.” 

u That’s the hottest game of hide and seek 
I ever played; I can’t understand, even now, 
how I managed to dodge him so long.” 

“ It must have been because of his size; I 
don’X believe there is a bigger bear in the whole 
West; had he been smaller he would have been 
nimble enough to nail me at first, and then 
serve you the same way.” 


THE CAMP FIRE IN THE GORGE. 51 

“I wonder whether he will bother us any 
more,” said Palmer, peering into the gloom ; 
“ I don’t see anything of him.” 

“He may come nosing around, but the fire 
is our salvation; he can’t stand that, and it’s 
mighty lucky that we collected enough fuel to 
last us through the night.” 

“ I hope he won’t get at the horses, for they 
are not far olf ; one would think that the car¬ 
casses of the big-horn and wolf would give 
him abundant supper without demolishing a 
pony.” 

“ He’s big enough to devour both,” was the 
disgusted remark of Hillson ; “and, when we 
had the best chance in the world to bag the 
monarch of all grizzlies, we must have that 
awkward blunder with both our guns ; it’s 
too bad.” 

He picked up his rifle as he spoke, and with 
a furtive glance or two behind him, examined 
it by the light of the camp fire. He found, to 
his consternation, that it could never be used 
again until repaired. The spring was broken. 
It could easily be put in shape by the ord¬ 
nance department at the fort, but so far as 


52 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

present purposes were concerned, it was of no 
more account than a walking cane. 

“Mine is all right,” remarked Palmer, after 
the extent of the injury was seen, “but it is 
lost and will stay lost till daybreak.” 

“ I think we can find it with the help of a 
torch, for you know where you dropped it.” 

“ I am not sure of that,” said Palmer doubt- 
ingly ; “ the old fellow stirred me up so much 
that I hadn’t much chance of keeping track 
of my latitude and longitude.” 

“It’s worth trying, anyway; I shan’t be 
satisfied till I’ve closed accounts with that 
grizzly.” 

Palmer went with him, and, after standing 
still a minute or two to decide, as well as he 
could, the right direction, he pointed it out 
and his friend moved cautiously forward, 
swinging the torch at intervals over his head. 

“This is quite near the spot, though I may 
be wrong.” 

Holding the light aloft, they peered into the 
illuminated space with a keenness which 
would have revealed a pocket-knife lying on the 
ground ; but the rifle was nowhere in sight. 


THE CAMP FIRE IN THE GORGE. 53 

While looking for that which they were so 
anxious to find, they kept a sharp look-out 
also for that which they had no wish to dis¬ 
cover. The bear could not be far off, and the 
prospects of stumbling over him, even with 
the torch as a protection, was not coveted by 
either. 

The search was not without its amusing 
features. Palmer kept so close to his compan¬ 
ion that he sometimes interfered with his 
progress, his theory being that, inasmuch as 
the blazing fagot was their only protection, it 
should be equally shared. 

“Quick!” suddenly whispered the elder; 
“ the torch is going out.” 

Hillson realized the alarming fact as quickly 
as his friend, and swung the stick with might 
and main. The fact was it had already burned 
itself so nearly out that not enough body was 
left to feed the flame. The efforts to renew it 
were useless. 

“There lie comes!” cried out Palmer, 
scrambling for the camp with the terrified 
Hillson tumbling over him. 

It is safe to say that despite the speed made 


54 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

on their former essays in the same direction, 
this surpassed them all. No one could have 
made the passage quicker than they. 

“I should have said,” remarked Palmer, 
as the two looked in each other’s faces and 
laughed, “that the bear was likely to be 
coming ; I was not strictly correct in declaring 
that he had started and was on the way.” 

“ Much allowance must be made for a fellow 
half scared to death.” 

“I was impressed with that truth when 
you first yelled for me to go to your help,” 
replied Palmer. 

But both could afford to make merry over 
their misadventure, for, though it had not 
resulted very creditably to themselves, they 
were lucky to escape without wounds or 
injury. 

They decided that it was imprudent to make 
any further hunt for the gun until daylight. 
The situation was not pleasant, since they 
would be forced to spend the night with 
no fire-arms besides their revolvers, which 
amounted to little against a bear of the size 
and strength of the one with which they had 


THE CAMP FIRE IN THE GORGE. 55 

collided. They were not without hope that 
the grizzly would be found in the vicinity 
when the sun rose, and they could make a 
more scientific hunt for him. 

The only thing that remained to do was to 
see that the fire burned briskly until morning. 
So long as that protection existed, they had 
nothing t.o fear from the bear, nor indeed from 
any other wild beast disposed to make them 
a call. 

The matter was easily arranged. Hillson 
agreed to stand guard until one o’clock, when 
he would arouse his companion and they 
would exchange places. It was so easy for 
either to hold his senses for a few hours, that 
no fear was felt of falling asleep. The true 
course would have been for the sentinel to 
continue walking back and forth in front of 
the flames, pausing only when it was necessary 
to throw wood upon them. This would have 
insured perfect protection; but since the 
watch was to be quite equally divided, neither 
felt any misgiving of the consequences. 

The officers had brought a blanket apiece, 
but unfortunately they were strapped behind 


56 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

tlie saddles of tlieir horses, which had not 
been removed before the grizzly interfered 
with the arrangements. However, the warmth 
reflected from the flinty wall behind the flames, 
that were kept going vigorously, was strong 
enough to ward off the chill, which otherwise 
would have been too great to admit of sleeping 
with comfort. 

A quantity of the dried branches and drift¬ 
wood was adjusted so as to make a fair couch 
for Palmer, who managed to get himself into 
an easy posture, after which he bade his 
friend good-niglit, instructing him to call him 
on time to take his place as sentinel. 

Hillson waited for some minutes after all 
was still, when he pronounced the name of 
the other several times. Receiving no reply, 
he concluded he was asleep and gave him no 
further thought. His watch showed that it 
was only a few minutes past nine, and he had 
a long, wearisome wait before him, but he 
preferred that it should come during the first 
instead of the latter part of the night. 

“ We have done this thing before,” was his 
thought, “and we ought to understand it.” 


THE CAMP FIRE IN THE GORGE. 57 

The scene was imx3ressive to the last degree. 
The darkness was profound, and from his 
place on the ground he could see nothing that 
lay outside the circle of illumination of the 
the camp fire. Looking upward at the sky 
spanning the gloomy gorge, he observed a 
single star shining from the heavenly arch 
which was not yet freed from the clouds that 
had drenched the earth. 

From some point, deeper in the mountains, 
came the wail of a wild animal, rising and 
falling on the stillness with a dismal, weird 
effect which caused Hi!Ison to fling more wood 
on the flames and to look at his revolver, 
which he held ready for instant use. A gentle 
wind at times soughed through the ravine, the 
peculiar tunnel-like passage giving it a soft¬ 
ened roar like that of the ocean when it 
reaches the ear through the miles of interven¬ 
ing forest. 

Now and then the lieutenant started and 
glanced apprehensively into the very blackness 
of darkness, fancying he detected the elephan¬ 
tine form of the grizzly with whom they had 
held their stirring interview earlier in the 


58 


THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 


evening. Hillson edged a little nearer the fire, 
his chivalry for his friend causing him to 
maintain the blaze as near him as it could be 
done without discomfort. 

But, though he used his keen vision at its 
best, he saw nothing of their dreaded foe, nor 
did the first cavernous growl show that he 
was anywhere near. 

“He may be lurking out there,” thought 
Hillson, “but we have only to stay close to 
the fire to be safe. After the experience 
Palmer and I have had we can’t forget to do 
that, but,” he added with a look of perplex¬ 
ity, “ it seems to me there is something strange 
about that roar that has been in my ears so 
long.” 


CHAPTER VII. 


THE MOUNTAIN FLOOD. 


W E have referred to a dull roaring sound 
which resembled that of the distant 
ocean. It had been heard by the officers from 
the time they had dismounted to go into camp 
in this lonely place, and at first they gave 
little heed to it. 

But Lieutenant Hillson was mystified by the 
fact that the sound was increasing, not only 
steadily but with unmistakable rapidity. He 
could not understand what it meant, and yet 
it was strange that the nature of the approach¬ 
ing peril was not suspected from the first. 

“It may be a cyclone or hurricane cavorting 
among the mountains above us,” he thought; 
“and, if so, we have nothing to fear, for no 
cyclone that ever desolated a country can over¬ 
turn our house.” 

And he looked upward at the vast mass of 
stone arching out over them, and felt that it 


60 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

must stand until the last great day, unless dis¬ 
placed by some convulsion of nature such as 
originally split the mountain range apart. 

But the explanation suggested by Hillson to 
himself could not satisfy him. He rose to his 
feet and walked a few paces into the gorge, 
taking care to keep within the light from the 
camp fire, and, standing thus, he looked and 
listened. 

Eyesight was of no use at such a time, and 
for a while the ear was unable to interpret the 
uproar, swelling rapidly into an overwhelming 
volume of sound. 

He was becoming alarmed. It seemed as if 
the cool autumn air was taking upon itself a 
greater degree of cold in which there was a 
marked dampness. He was inclined to awaken 
Palmer, who might be able to tell what it 
meant, but he asked himself in what possible 
way it could threaten either, and why he 
should break the slumber of his friend, who 
needed the rest. 

This uneasiness increased, until he abruptly 
stepped to where Palmer was lying and shook 
his shoulder. 


THE MOUNTAIN FLOOD. 


61 


“Wake up!” tie called. “It won’t do to 
sleep longer.” 

The elder roused on the instant, and sup¬ 
porting his head on his elbow, looked across 
in the firelight. 

“ What’s the matter?” he asked. 

“ I can’t tell, but something strange is going 
on ; do you hear that roar ? ’ ’ 

“I should say I did,” replied Palmer, 
sj)ringing to his feet; “ what does it mean ? ” 

“ That’s what I’ve been trying to figure out, 
but can’t.” 

The two stood beside each other for a full 
minute without speaking or stirring. Mean¬ 
while the alarming sound deepened until it 
resembled the sweep of a strong wind through 
a great forest. Palmer had noticed the in¬ 
creasing chilliness in the air, and referred to 
it as ominous. The wind was rising, too ; this 
added to their alarm. 

“I don’t know why we need have any 
fear,” said the elder, whose words and manner 
were not those of a man who felt secure ; “for 
it cannot be anything that will disturb us.” 

“If it did not grow louder so fast I would 


62 the path in the ravine. 

be sure it was a strong gale in the woods 
above us, but- 9 ’ 

“Hillson,” interrupted the other, catching 
his arm, “ that sounds like water ! ” 

“So it is, Palmer! Great Heaven, we are 
doomed! ” 

“ So we are ! a stream like Niagara is sweep¬ 
ing down this gorge upon us ! ” 

The couple might well stand appalled, for 
there was no longer a doubt of the meaning of 
the fearful roar which was now swelled to an 
overpowering volume. A jDrodigious torrent 
was charging down the gorge with resistless 
momentum. No human power could with¬ 
stand it, and there was no refuge whither they 
might fly. 

The mountain trail was a mile away, and 
had they been borne by a lightning express, 
they could not have reached the outlet ahead 
of that awful rush of waters. The walls of 
rock rose on either side for hundreds of feet, 
and they were without the means of scaling 
their perpendicular faces, even had they pos¬ 
sessed precious minutes sufficient to reach the 
top. 


THE MOUNTAIN FLOOD. 


63 


But they confronted their fate like the 
young heroes they were, displaying a coolness 
that could not have been surpassed. 

“It’s no use trying to fight the torrent,” 
said Ilillson, “but we can make some prepara¬ 
tion.” 

Palmer knew what he meant, and instantly 
began throwing off his surplus clothing, even 
to his hat, though they retained their shoes. 
No attempt was made to save the single Win¬ 
chester within reach, though each retained his 
revolver, whose weight was too slight to affect 
them one way or the other. 

“When it comes, we will simply go with it 
and trust to Heaven to save us.” 

“Of course we will go with it ,” grimly 
replied the elder, “for how can we help doing 
so?” 

The fire still burned vigorously, the blaze, 
fanned by the strong wind which rushed down 
the ravine ahead of the torrent, producing a 
perceptible effect. In the hope that it might 
be safer near the middle of the gorge than 
at the sides, they hastily moved thither, until 
they were so far out as to be only dimly 


64 


THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 


visible to eacli other in the faint light of the 
camp fire. 

The brave youths formed a dramatic picture 
as they stood side by side in the gloom of the 
gorge, dimly outlined in the yellow light 
beneath the shelving rocks beyond them, as it 
was fanned by the gale sweeping down the 
ravine. Their hair was blown about their 
temples; for, like the soldier condemned to 
death by shooting, they resolutely looked into 
the face of the approaching peril, as though 
they welcomed their fate, even when it came 
in such terrible form. 

For a few seconds neither spoke. The 
reader must bear in mind that events were 
sweeping past with hurricane swiftness. Some¬ 
where up in the mountains beyond, the tre¬ 
mendous rainfall of the evening had gathered 
and accumulated until, like that reservoir 
suspended so long over the doomed Pennsyl¬ 
vania valley, it burst all barriers and rushed 
downward, carrying destruction and death in 
its trail. 

Had they but taken warning of the peril 
to which they were exposed as long as they 


THE MOUNTAIN FLOOD. 


65 


stayed in the gorge, after the fall of the rain 
in the mountains, they might have escaped by 
fleeing with all haste down the ravine to the 
narrow passage where they left the mountain 
trail; but the fear never entered the thoughts 
of either, until long after all hope in that 
direction was cut off. 

<4 Good-by, Russ ! ” 

44 Good-by, Al, old boy ! ” 

The two clasped hands, the warm palms 
tightly closed, as if each instinctively felt that 
it was the last time the loving greeting could 
ever be known between them. 

And they stood thus in affectionate embrace 
when the awful avalanche of water came ! 


5 


CHAPTER VIII. 


WITH THE TORRENT. 

HE brief farewell, in the words given, was 



JL all that passed between Lieutenants Hill- 
son and Palmer, but, though neither had said 
anything to that effect, each was resolved to 
hold fast to the hand of the other in the final 
struggle with death that was upon them. 

They might as well have tried to ride upon 
the cyclone, for at the first smiting of the ap¬ 
palling torrent they were swept apart as if by 
the explosion of a bomb between their feet. 
The fire, which up to that moment permitted 
them to see faintly each other’s forms, was 
extinguished and all was blank darkness. 

Both of the young men were powerful swim¬ 
mers, and their acts were instinctively the best 
that could have taken place. The instant they 
felt the water upon them they drew in a deep 
respiration, and, refraining from wasting their 


WITH THE TORRENT. 


67 


strength by fighting the current, tried hard to 
keep their heads above the surface. 

It was at this crisis that each heard, above 
the frightful rush and roar, a sound such as 
never struck upon their ears before, and such 
as, it is safe to say, they could never hear again. 
It was the cry of the grizzly bear when he felt 
himself in the grasp of death, for which he 
cared naught in any other form. The hoarse, 
rasping shriek, with tremendous depth and 
volume, was fearful enough to impress itself 
upon both youths, at the moment they believed 
brought their own last struggle. 

Lieutenant Palmer was as helpless in the 
rush as a feather in the maelstrom below Ni¬ 
agara. He knew he was borne down the ra¬ 
vine with a speed which, if it should dash 
him against the rocky sides, would instantly 
kill him. It may be said that, after finding 
he was not overwhelmed and drowned by the 
first rush, he expected to lose his life in this 
way. 

Possibly it was fortunate for Palmer and his 
friend that the first contact of the water was 
of such prodigious volume that they were 


THE PATH IN THE KAVINE. 


lifted bodily from the ground and borne to a 
height of fifty feet above it, for, had it been 
less, they could not have escaped being dashed 
against some one of the many rocks and 
bowlders at the bottom of the ravine. As it 
was, they were carried above these obstructions, 
though the danger from the sides was as great, 
if not greater, than before. 

It was a desperately fierce struggle for a few 
minutes. Palmer caught his breath as he 
could, and, more often than otherwise, water 
instead of air streamed down his throat, and 
had to be coughed out again. Leaves, sticks, 
branches, whole trees, bark, and every imagin¬ 
able product of the mountain forests were 
around and about him, but since all were 
borne forward with the same rush and at com¬ 
paratively the same speed, the danger of col¬ 
lision with these objects was slight. 

It was no difficult matter for the lieutenant, 
when he found himself on the surface, to 
sustain himself there, but since his out¬ 
stretched hands struck a large tree bobbing 
along on the torrent, he was only simply pru¬ 
dent when he threw one arm over it with the 


WITH THE TORRENT. 


69 


conclusion tliat it might as well sustain him as 
to drift uselessly downward. 

At the moment of doing this Lieutenant 
Palmer, for the first time, asked himself : 

“Is it among the possibilities that I shall 
ever live to tell of this ? Alas, poor Russ ! ” 

Now that the first gleam of hope for himself 
appeared, his thoughts turned to his friend 
from whom he was wrenched with such sud¬ 
denness that they had time to utter only the 
simple words of farewell. He gave no thought 
to the ponies, for they were of little account, 
but he wondered whether the manly Hillson 
was still alive and battling for life. 

“I see no reason why he should not have 
been as fortunate as I,” he reflected, “for he 
is a better swimmer and must have encoun¬ 
tered but the same difficulties.” 

It was not strange perhaps that he recalled 
an incident somewhat similar which occurred 
at one of the Southern forts not long before. 
The captain and first lieutenant were over¬ 
whelmed in the same manner by a sudden 
rush of waters while hunting in the mountains 
and both were drowned. The noticeable point 


70 THE PATH IN THE EAVINE. 

was that by one of those curious complications 
which sometimes take place in the army, the 
two who lost their lives were the couple stand¬ 
ing immediately ahead of the second lieuten¬ 
ant in line of promotion. He nearly lost his 
own life in the effort to save the officers, but 
failed and was soon rewarded by being made 
captain. 

Noav that hope was awakened in the breast 
of Lieutenant Palmer, and his sympathies 
were stirred for his late companion, he could 
not avoid speculating as to what the end of all 
this was to be. At such a time one thinks 
rapidly, and there was hardly a possible phase 
of the fearful dilemma that did not present 
itself to him. 

The first truth which impressed him was 
that this mighty volume of water could not be 
driven through the fissure-like cut by which 
he and Hillson entered the wild region. That 
was so exceedingly strait that it must become 
choked and a back current formed. How 
would that affect him? Could he keep out of 
the fissure through which it must be forced, 
as if from the throat of a gigantic hose, long 


WITH THE TORRENT. 


71 


enough to help himself ? If caught resist- 
lessly in it, he knew he would shoot over and 
across the mountain trail as if fired from the 
mouth of a columbiad. Such an experience 
in all the elements of terror would surpass the 
experience of the fool-hardy Captain Webb, 
who essayed the impossible. 

But was there not another outlet to this 
flood ? He recalled that, for some distance 
after leaving the mountain path, the trend of 
the fissure was downward, but he and Hillson 
saw no passage or larger chasm connecting 
with the one leading into the mountains. 

And yet it might exist and escape their 
notice, for their eyes were always fixed in 
advance, and a wide-throated ravine could 
join this one in such a manner that it was 
prominent only when they were facing the 
other way. 

This seemed like a violent presumption, but 
after all, it was reasonable enough to set his 
thoughts in that direction. 

However, the question of life and death 
must soon be determined. The prodigious speed 
with which he was borne forward was sure to 


72 THE PATH IN THE'RAVINE. 

bring him to tlie mountain trail in a few mo¬ 
ments or bear him along the diverging torrent. 

Incredible as it may seem, it was a fact that 
the outlet of this volume of rushing water was 
through a channel almost as broad, but con¬ 
nected with the ravine in such a way that it 
was not observed by either of the officers 
when riding toward the point where they 
made their camp for the night. 

It will be remembered that the main gorge 
was sinuous and possessed many sharp turns in 
its course. It was at one of these that, instead 
of sweeping onward, the torrent shot into 
another channel, which, rightly considered, 
was the real continuation of the ravine, which 
had really been entered through a branch, as 
it may be termed, by our young friends. 

Into this new course Lieutenant Palmer was 
swept with the same amazing swiftness that he 
had been carried along the old one. He did 
not suspect the truth until he had passed some 
distance and had actually grazed the side, the 
momentary touch of which first gave him an 
adequate idea of the bewildering speed with 
which he was rushing forward. 


WITH THE TORRENT. 


73 


The second channel being much narrower 
than the first caused an instant rise of the 
water, a portion of which still continued along 
the narrower fissure in the direction of the 
mountain trail. 

Nothing can give a more vivid idea of the 
amazing volume of water than the statement 
that within a minute after it passed the ex¬ 
tinguished camp fire, it had risen to within a 
short distance of the top of the gorge. Not 
only that, but at x”)oints where the summits of 
the walls were depressed, it overflowed. 

It followed, therefore, that after the water 
was driven into the narrower passage, it rose 
still higher, and, before Palmer dreamed of 
what had taken place, he was “ out of the 
swim ” altogether. That is to say, the whirl¬ 
ing volume carried him over the top of the 
rocks on one side and among the bowlders and 
trees, where it would seem his chances of 
death were increased tenfold, for all manner 
of obstructions were now on every hand and 
his progress must come to an end within the 
briefest space of time. 



CHAPTER IX. 


UP A TEEE. 



HE first proof Lieutenant Palmer received 


-J- of the unexpected change was when his 
foot struck the ground below him. It was 
what might be called a glancing blow, the con¬ 
tact being so slight that he could not secure 
an ounce’s resistance. 

While he was w r ondering whether he had 
touched the top of some towering rock, rising 
nearly to the top of the new bed of the tor¬ 
rent, he found himself shooting through the 
branches of trees. 

This signified something. Those trees must 
have their roots imbedded in the soil, an im¬ 
possibility had they been in the path of the 
direct rush of the waters. It followed, there¬ 
fore, that he had been “spilled over” and, like 
a Mississippi steamer gone astray in a flood, 


74 


UP A TREE. 


75 


was sknrrying over territory where nothing of 
the kind was ever known before. 

The instant the limbs began brushing about 
his face, he threw out his hands and caught 
desperately at everything within reach. The 
twigs shot through his grasp with blistering 
speed, and, when he seized a stronger limb, it 
snapped off short as though it were a pipestem. 

He was now in terror of being dashed to 
death against the trunk of some tree. When 
the next instant he was among the branches of 
other trees, he repeated his efforts with such 
vigor that he held fast. The strain was in¬ 
tense,’but it meant life or death and he did 
not let go. 

The moment his forward motion was checked, 
he lifted himself so strongly by the hands 
that his feet were drawn clear of the rushing 
current and he was perched above its reach. 

“ Thank God ! ” was his fervent exclama¬ 
tion, now realizing that at last he was saved ; 
“ it is a miracle, but it is real.” 

The tense strain being lifted, Lieutenant 
Palmer was able, for the first time, to remove 
his thoughts from the immediate present to 


76 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

the immediate future. He had done a vast 
deal of guessing and speculating while in the 
torrent, but he was in constant danger of 
sudden death, and it was that fact which dom¬ 
inated all others. 

It was clear to him what had occurred. The 
time spent in the water suggested that the 
torrent had turned into a new channel, since 
the speed with which he was carried downward 
ought to have taken him to the mountain trail 
before this. That new bed had so narrowed 
that the impetuous water rose quickly and 
Palmer had been carried over and outside of 
the banks from which at one time there seemed 
to be no possible hope of effecting his escape. 

He reasoned further that this flood in all its 
characteristics was very like the breaking 
away of some reservoir ; it was mighty and 
overwhelming, but must soon subside, since 
the source of supply was exhausted. The rain 
had ceased falling a long time before, and 
probably, in the course of a few hours, the im¬ 
mense gorge would be so freed that the ride of 
the horsemen might be repeated, were other 
circumstances favorable. 


UP A TREE. 


77 


There could be no great depth of water 
below him, and ere long the ground must be 
uncovered, and it would be safe for him to 
descend. He decided, however, not to do so 
before daylight, since he was liable to make a 
misstep in the darkness, with no chance of 
lielj)ing himself. 

The situation could not have been more 
discomforting, but he was mighty glad to 
exchange it with that of a few minutes 
before. It seemed to him the tree was not 
very tall nor large, but after a while he suc¬ 
ceeded in securing a i:>osition m uch better 
than before. 

If any person wants to realize how slowly 
the minutes and hours can drag by, let him 
place himself in a situation something like that 
of Lieutenant Palmer. He was clothed scan¬ 
tily, the water was chilly, and, now that he 
was deprived of all exercise, it seemed he must 
be chilled through and perish before he could 
help himself. 

His matches were carried in a small rubber 
safe, and his revolver was so protected that its 
submersion was not likely to affect it in the 


78 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

least. He therefore possessed the power to 
strike a light whenever he wished. 

“It seems to me I have been here about 
a month,” he muttered after shifting his 
position, which quickly became unbearably 
cramped, “but it can hardly be as long as 
that,” he grimly added, as he began fishing 
out the little safe. 

It required no little care and skill to ignite 
the bit of pine, but he succeeded, and held it 
in front of his watch. Then he muttered an 
exclamation of amazement. 

It lacked a few minutes of ten o’clock! 

“Heavens, that is impossible! I thought 
so.” 

He placed the timepiece against his ear and 
found it had ceased ticking. 

“It must have been stopped by the first 
rush of water,” was his conclusion, as he 
returned it to its place at his waist, “and that 
surely was hours and hours ago.” 

For some minutes a suspicion had been 
growing upon the young officer that he was 
not the only one in the branches of the tree. 
The wild thought that Hillson might have 


UP A TREE. 


79 


reached the refuge first caused him to pro¬ 
nounce his name several times, but he was 
almost ashamed the next moment of having 
done so. 

He had forgotten the impression while work¬ 
ing with the tiny match, but no sooner had the 
twist of flame shone over the polished face of 
the watch than a warning growl from some 
of the limbs proved that his fears were well 
founded. 

“If you are only peaceable,’’ said Palmer, 
dropping the point of flame among the limbs 
below, “I won’t bother you, but you may as 
well understand that, after such a trip as I 
have made, I’m ready to fight every inch of the 
way hereafter, whether it is an elephant, a tiger, 
or a treacherous Indian that crosses my path.” 

He believed that a wild animal—most prob¬ 
ably of the panther variety—had been carried 
by a strange chance to the same refuge that 
had interposed to save him. No doubt the 
brute was terrified for the time out of its 
natural fierceness, though ere long it would be 
ready to resume business at the old stand. 

The growl came from some point above and 


80 THE PATH IN THE EAYINE. 

not far off, and caused the officer to reach for 
liis revolver, for he was liable to be assailed at 
any moment. 

The growl was followed by occasional pur¬ 
ring mutterings which enabled him to decide 
the exact spot where the beast was crouching. 
It was on a limb hardly ten feet above his 
head, and far enough away and around to 
require an elevation of some forty-five degrees 
to reach it with a shot. 

Palmer reflected that his position could not 
be worse, for an easy jump on the part of the 
wild beast must bring it directly down on his 
shoulders, and he was in no condition to engage 
in a fight of that kind. That the animal w T ould 
make such an attack he did not doubt, and it 
would seem, therefore, that the best thing was 
to anticipate it. 

He tried for several minutes to gain a sight 
of its eyes, so as to aim with some certainty of 
hitting it, but he failed to obtain the first 
glimpse, and though he knew the very place 
where it was crouching, he dared not take the 
chances of firing without more conditions in 
his favor. 


UP A TKEE. 


81 


The first thing to be done was to change his 
own position. He was quite near the trunk of 
the tree, and, carefully rising to his feet, he 
shifted slowly around so as to interpose the 
trunk between him and the brute. 

The instant he began the movement his 
enemy renewed its growling with such vigor 
that he was sure it was gathering itself to 
spring. He held his weapon ready to fire, but 
the leap was not made, and, balancing himself 
with one foot on the right and the other on 
the left, the latter resting on a limb some 
inches higher than the other, Palmer placed 
one arm around the trunk opposite his shoul¬ 
ders, and felt that his situation was excellent. 
He was behind ramparts, and, though the 
beast might reach him with his sharp claws, 
there was a chance of using the revolver effec¬ 
tively. 

It was at this juncture that Palmer, while 
peering cautiously around the right of the 
trunk, caught the greenish phosphorescent 
glitter of the animal’s eyes. It was only for a 
moment, the head shifting so quickly that they 
instantly vanished. 

6 


82 the path in the kavine. 

He pointed the weapon at the place, but 
held his fire, waiting for another display. 

It came a minute later, when the shifting 
head revealed the peculiar gleam of the round 
eyes. At such a time, when Palmer could not 
see his upraised hand, of course he could do 
nothing in the nature of sighting his weapon ; 
but his familiarity with its use enabled him to 
point the chambers as accurately as though the 
sun were shining. 

At the same instant that the greenish flash 
was observed, he let fly with two charges in 
quick succession. 

. There could be no doubt that he hit the 
brute, for the snarling yelp which instantly 
escaped it was as much of pain as anger. 
Without a second’s hesitation it bounded 
downward and straight at its assailant, who 
would have been torn but for the interposing 
tree trunk. 

He heard it fiercely clawing and clutching 
at the limbs in the effort to sustain itself, 
and, by way of helping matters, he pumped a 
couple more balls into the body. The strug¬ 
gles and outcries were redoubled, but the beast 


UP A TREE. 


83 


could not sustain itself. It dropped downward 
through the few remaining limbs, striking the 
water with a splash, without having harmed a 
shred of the young man’s scanty clothing. 

All this was a source of congratulation, but 
that which pleased him the most was what 
immediately followed on the fall of the brute. 
The instant it landed it hastily left the spot, 
but instead of doing so by swimming it 
trotted off. 


CHAPTER X. 


AIMLESS WANDEKINGS. 

HE patter of the animal’s feet as it trotted 



-L away from the foot of the tree proved 
that the water had become very shallow. In¬ 
deed, its depth could not have been more than 
a few inches, as was shown by the ease with 
which the brute travelled. 

“I shall soon have solid land under me,” 
thought Palmer, “and all that I can pray is 
that Hillson has been as fortunate as I.” 

The flow was plainly heard, and he was sure, 
from its peculiar noise, that it was falling 
rapidly. Clearly all danger from that source 
was at an end. 

But the lieutenant was in a pitiable condi¬ 
tion. He was shivering with cold, and his 
limbs were so cramped that more than once he 
was in danger of losing his hold and falling to 


84 


AIMLESS WANDERINGS. 


85 


tlie ground. In fact, lie was tempted to do so, 
for any change was preferable to that in the 
tree. 

But while he was debating with himself 
what was best to do, he was thrilled by a 
growing light in one portion of the sky. He 
had been disappointed so often that he feared 
it was only another delusion. Looking long 
and earnestly at the spot, he fancied he was 
mistaken ; but, when he turned his gaze in 
another direction for some minutes, and then 
brought it back to the former place, all doubts 
were removed. Day was breaking. 

The next gratifying discovery came when 
the light was strong enough to give him a sight 
of the ground below. While the leaves and 
grass were wet, the water was gone ; there was 
not so much as a rivulet flowing. The prodig¬ 
ious reservoir was rapidly exhausting itself, if 
it had not already done so. 

At the same moment he learned this cheering 
fact he let himself down from the limbs, land¬ 
ing lightly on his feet, and looked about him. 
By the rapidly increasing light he saw he had 
been carried among a group of trees of much 


86 THE PATH IN THE. KAVINE. 

less extent than lie supposed. He shuddered 
on noting that several had been uprooted by 
the torrent, which had flung great bowlders 
against them with tremendous force. 

It was easy to trace the course of the flow, 
and he had to go little more than a hundred 
yards when he reached the edge of the ravine 
from which he was carried by the friendly 
overflow. 

He was astonished beyond measure to find 
that that was also substantially free from 
water. Muddy pools were here and there, 
while trees, branches, and overturned bowlders 
lay in many places, but there was no defined 
flow of the torrent, which hours before had 
poured through the ravine with a rush and 
volume which of necessity speedily drained 
dry its source. 

He stood for some minutes gazing over the 
edge of the gorge with strange thoughts stir¬ 
ring his heart. He could not help recalling the 
fearful experience of the night before, when, 
with his hand clasping that of Hillson, the 
awful fury of the flood tore them apart, with 
not a hope in the heart of either that they 


AIMLESS WANDERINGS. 


87 


would ever look upon eacli other’s face, or hear 
each other’s voice again. 

He mourned him as one mourns a true and 
noble friend, but his own situation demanded 
every attention. 

He was so chilled that the first thing he did 
was to run rapidly back and forth, swinging 
liis arms and leaping in the air, to restore his 
circulation. This was kept up with such vigor 
for several minutes that his system was thrown 
into a glow and he felt much better. 

“ What would I not give for an army blan¬ 
ket ? ” he said, panting from his exertion ; “ it 
is enough to tempt a fellow to duplicate his 
pay accounts to get one.” 

The sensation of hunger was strong, but he 
had learned how to bear that uncomplainingly 
during his campaigning on the frontier. The 
most obvious course was for him to locate, 
himself as soon as he could, and then to set 
out on his return to the fort, many a weary 
mile away. 

He knew there were Indians, some of them 
vagrant and dangerous, in these mountains, 
but he would have welcomed the risk could he 


88 THE path in the eavine. 

have caught sight of the smoke of one of their 
camp fires, but his vision was not gratified by 
the first sign of a human being’s presence in 
the neighborhood. 

Since it was out of his power to cross the 
gorge, while it was not certain his situation 
would be improved thereby, he picked his 
way along the sides, keeping it in sight at all 
times, though the roughness of the journey 
compelled him to advance with the utmost care. 

While he was wondering where the torrent 
of water had found its outlet, the overpower¬ 
ing answer burst upon him. 

The gorge, after one of its violent turns, 
entered an underground passage whose mouth, 
a hundred feet wide and almost as high, was 
like the gateway to some vast subterranean 
cavern, into which it seemed the Mississippi 
might have lost itself. 

For several rods in front of this vast tunnel 
the bottom was so depressed that a pond of 
motionless water lay, muddy, full of leaves, 
trees, and vegetation. 

The lieutenant shuddered as he reflected 
that but for that sudden and fortunate over- 


AIMLESS WANDERINGS. 


89 


flow, lie would have been swept into tliose 
fearful depths, from which no man or animal 
could emerge alive. 

“That is the tomb of Hillson and the 
ponies,’’ he reflected, weighed down with un¬ 
speakable sadness; “the torrent may flow 
for many miles underground before reaching 
its outlet in some of the rivers, and it is not 
likely that his body will ever be seen or heard 
of again.” 

Inasmuch as the ravine had been entered 
from the other side, he crossed the arch of the 
tunnel and pushed his journey in that direc¬ 
tion. The ground was so rough, covered with 
pines and undergrowth, that travelling was of 
the hardest nature, while the towering moun¬ 
tains behind him and the scarcely less pre¬ 
cipitous slopes and elevations along which he 
was obliged to make his way shut off his view 
on every hand. 

The position of the sun, however, gave great 
help. It appeared to rise in the south, but he 
was sensible enough to understand his mis¬ 
take, and he headed toward the fort, greatly 
relieved to find that, while following the 


90 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

ravine, his course was favorable almost from 
the first. 

His aim now was to reach the mountain 
trail which he and his friend left the afternoon 
before, little dreaming of what was to follow. 
This attained, he would be able to locate him¬ 
self without trouble, for, as has been shown in 
another place, it served as the popular gate¬ 
way to the famous hunting grounds of that 
section. He could not forget, however, that 
the ascent of the rocks to the left of the moun¬ 
tain trail, as they rode up it, was so steep in 
most places as to be insurmountable ; and, 
that being so, he might well wonder how he 
should ever find his way down to it again. 

But all that remained was to press vigor¬ 
ously onward, for, if compelled to stay long in 
the mountains in his present plight, he must 
perish. While he carried a few matches, no 
fire could take the place of warm clothing. 
The autumn was advancing, and in that nor¬ 
thern climate when the autumn season does 
close in it is like that which the Arctic ex¬ 
plorers encounter in the extreme northern 
regions. 


AIMLESS WANDERINGS. 


91 


At the end of a couple of hours Lieutenant 
Palmer could not see that he was any nearer 
his destination than before. His clothing had 
been torn by the briars and bushes, and he 
was beginning to feel the effects of his con¬ 
tinual and laborious climbing. 

“I wonder,” he said to himself, stopping 
for a brief breathing spell, “ whether there are 
any Blackfeet or G-ros Ventres or Piegans 
within call. They are not the most desirable 
acquaintances in these parts, but there isn’t 
much about me in the way of plunder to tempt 
them, and my revolver is still serviceable-” 

The crackling of the undergrowth behind 
him caused the startled officer to turn his head 
like a flash ; and as he did so, he received the 
greatest surprise of his life. 


CHAPTER XI. 


A STRANGE TUG. 

W E are quite sure the reader will admit 
that Lieutenant Palmer passed through 
a stirring experience, and that his escape from 
death was as wonderful in many respects as 
some of those that marked the Johnstown 
disaster which appalled the civilized world. 

But by one of those marvellous complica¬ 
tions which seem to defy the laws of chances 
and probabilities, his friend, Lieutenant Hill- 
son, passed a night in many respects more 
amazing than that of the elder officer. 

Palmer was right when he declared his 
friend to be a better swimmer than he, but no 
skill could avail him when caught by the re¬ 
sistless torrent which thundered through the 
mountain gorge like an Alpine avalanche. 
Finding his hand jerked from the grasp of his 


A STRANGE TUG. 


93 


companion, he instinctively imitated his ac¬ 
tion, and with the same result that he found 
himself on the surface, plunging forward in 
the darkness, with only a dim idea of where 
he was going, content to fight off death for a 
few minutes only. 

Hillson was overtaken by a mishap which 
his friend escaped. A huge tree, caught in 
some peculiar whirl of the torrent, threw its 
dangling roots aloft, descending again with a 
violent splash. The darkness was too intense 
for the swimmer to see his danger, and as the 
trunk descended he was struck with a shock 
that rendered him partly senseless for a few 
minutes. 

It was at this juncture that his skill in 
swimming served him well. Most persons 
would have drowned while suffering from the 
blow, but he kept his limbs moving with an 
expertness that saved him, while the chilly 
current speedily brought him back to his full 
senses. 

He knew what it was that had struck him, 
and saw the chance to save his strength by 
using some of the debris to help float him, as 


94 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

his friend was in reality doing at that very 
moment. 

He had heard that frightful cry of the grizzly 
when overtaken by the flood, but gave it no 
further thought, until in groping around in the 
gloom both hands came in contact with some¬ 
thing soft and yielding. He was frightened at 
first, but the next moment recognized it as the 
coat of the grizzly bear, who was swimming for 
dear life. 

“I don’t see why you won’t do as well as 
anything else,” muttered Hillson, struck by 
the oddity of the situation, “so here goes!” 

The head of the brute was mostly above 
water, the vast body sloping backward and 
downward, until the haunches were too far 
beneath to be of any service ; but, just back of 
the shoulders was the spot which could not 
have been excelled as a means of support for 
one in the situation of the young officer. He 
grasped the long, glossy hair at that place, 
finding that so long as bruin maintained him¬ 
self, his own situation was all he could wish. 

“ I don’t know what point you’re aiming at, 
Ephraim,” said Hillson, “but it’s all the same 


T 


A STRANGE TUG. 


95 


to me, and I prefer that yon should serve as 
my steam tug rather than to go it alone.” 

For some time the grizzly gave no sign of 
knowing what had taken place. He was 
swimming powerfully, though it appeared to 
be aimlessly. He was forced to go with the 
torrent, wheresoever that bore him, and was 
using his immense strength with might and* 
main. 

It struck Hillson that the brute was wasting 
his efforts, but before long he changed his 
mind, for, though the ursus species includes 
the most stupid of the animal kind, it was not 
long before he gave proof that he was following 
a definite plan which did him no discredit. 

In fact he was making for the side of the 
gorge, which in many places was within his 
reach. While he drifted with the current he 
also worked quartering, and had not struggled 
long when he was spinning along shore so close 
that he grazed the walls of rock. 

At the first opportunity he reached one of 
his huge paws upward and struck the bank 
above, but the force of the water swept him 
past without the slightest cessation of speed. 


96 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

# 

Hillson understood what he was trying to 
do, and hope was at once aroused that his 
Samson-like strength would enable him to 
draw himself out of the resistless rush. 

“It will delight me to have you succeed, my 
old enemy, but I am determined you shall not 
get out of the swim without taking me with 
you. I can’t give you much help, but you 
may be able to do a good deal for me.” 

By and by the grizzly essayed it once more, 
and then again and again, but with no more 
success than in the first instance. Possibly he 
might have accomplished it in one case but for 
his heavy handicap. Some idea of that nature 
must have come to him, for, after falling back 
in the water, he emitted one of his ugly growls 
and turned about in the wrathful effort to 
reach the fellow with his jaws. 

But Hillson had been expecting this from 
the beginning and was on his guard. He had 
nothing to do but to retain his grip on the 
shaggy coat at the shoulders, and the brute 
had no power to shake him off. He tried it 
several times, turning entirely around more 
than once, but Hillson could afford to despise 


A STRANGE TUG. 


97 


his efforts, and he was not frightened in the 
least. 

The animal himself quickly saw he could do 
nothing in that line, and resumed his swim¬ 
ming, close to the upper edge of the wall, 
which for some distance was beyond his reach. 

However, nature was kind enough to do that 
which was out of the power of the grizzly. He 
was still clawing and scrambling in the vain 
effort to climb out of the water, when he went 
headlong over a depression below the main 
torrent. It was here the choked water, seek¬ 
ing every possible overflow, shot a portion to 
one side, carrying the huge beast in spite of 
himself. True to his resolve, Hillson clung 
fast, and, before he understood what was com¬ 
ing, found himself tumbling, half-strangled 
and seemingly so mixed up with the brute that, 
had the latter used the chance, he could have 
destroyed him in a twinkling. 

But the grizzly just then was fighting for 
nobody but himself. The shallowness of the 
water allowed him to get upon his feet, while 
the lieutenant was sufficiently wise to let go 
before angering him into an attack. The run- 
7 



98 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

ning stream was almost to his knees, and, 
though it rushed past with great force, he, 
too, was strong enough to retain his feet. 

Hillson was wise and kept his head. He 
knew he was still in imminent peril, and 
anything in the nature of undue haste or panic 
would be fatal. He was outside the main 
gorge, but still much nearer than was agree¬ 
able. A step or two to the left was likely to 
drop him into the foaming flood again, and, 
once there, he could hope for no such good 
fortune as had just saved his life. 

Hot only was the bear gone, but it might be 
that this overflow, after running a short dis¬ 
tance, returned to the gorge through some still 
lower depression, over which he was liable to 
be precipitated at any moment if he took the 
wrong course. 

But he could not stand still with the torrent 
rushing about his knees. With a coolness 
natural to him, he began working his way 
at right angles to the course of the smaller 
stream, and directly from the gorge, provided 
the course of the latter had not changed 
abruptly. This certainly was the safer pro- 


A STRANGE TUG. 


99 


ceeding, according to all reasoning, but Hill- 
son determined, now that Heaven had given 
him such aid, that he would not throw away 
his opportunity. He stepped with as much 
care as that shown by an elephant when ven¬ 
turing upon a rickety bridge, never allowing 
the advanced foot to bear his weight until he 
knew it rested on solid foundation. 

It did not take much travelling, even in this 
slow fashion, for him to emerge from the side 
stream, which had been the means of saving 
himself and the grizzly. He was simply seek¬ 
ing a firm basis for his feet, where he would 
be willing to stand until the light of day 
enabled him to make another venture for 
himself. 

He had secured it at last, and his prayer of 
thankfulness was as fervent as that of Palmer 
when rescued from what he looked upon as 
certain death. 

He had no means of learning how extensive 
was the “platform” on which he was sup¬ 
ported, but was satisfied to know it was firm. 
Drawing his match safe from his pocket he 
managed with considerable trouble to ignite 


100 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

one of the tiny torches, but it was instantly 
put out by the wind, which blew quite strongly. 
When a second effort failed, he forebore re¬ 
peating it, for it occurred to him that those 
lucifers were likely to acquire great value to 
him before he was fully delivered from the 
labyrinth of peril in which he was entangled. 


CHAPTER XII. 


A FRIEND TRIED AND TRUE. 

OUNG Hillson gained a more vivid idea 



-L than ever before of playing the martyr. 
His situation was fully as dismal and trying 
as that of his old friend in the tree, but he 
fought off the torturing chill by leaping up and 
down, slapping himself, and going through 
more than one form of violent gymnastics. 
The hours were unspeakably long, but dark¬ 
ness fled at last, and the glorious sun once 
more rose over forest and mountain. 

The first fact impressed upon him, after dis¬ 
covering that he was in a dense growth of 
trees at the foot-hills of a range that seemed to 
tower to the very clouds, was that there was 
no water of account nearer him than that con¬ 
tained in the gorge from which he had effected 
his escape several hours before. 

The next discovery fairly took away his 


101 


102 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

breath, for only a few yards away was a 
horse cropxring the scanty grass beneath the 
trees. That same horse was saddled and 
bridled, and hardly a second glance was re¬ 
quired to identify it as his own pet mare, Kitty. 

“ How in the name of creation did you save 
yourself?” asked the delighted lieutenant, 
calling the name of his gallant beast. 

The latter threw up her head, and recogniz¬ 
ing him, gave a whinny of pleasure as she 
trotted toward him. The soldier was not 
ashamed to throw his arms about the neck of 
the beautiful animal, who pressed her silken 
nostrils against his cheek and showed her hap¬ 
piness in every way at command. 

The surprise of the unexpected meeting over, 
the shivering lieutenant proceeded to secure 
the blanket strapped behind the saddle. 

“ It won’t be very comfortable saturated as 
it must be with water,” he muttered, “but it 
beats freezing to death a thousand per cent. 
Well, I’ll be hanged if that don’t get me ! ” 

That which astonished the lieutenant anew 
was the fact that, when he came to unfold the 
precious blanket, he found it dry or nearly so, 


A FRIEND TRIED AND TRUE. 103 

the only moisture penetrating it being that 
which had struck it in the form of rain. 

The result of subsequent investigations may 
as well be given in this place, in order that the 
reader may not suspect us of telling fiction for 
truth. 

When the ponies fled from the camp at the 
bottom of the gorge, terrified by the appear¬ 
ance of the grizzly bear, they headed up the 
ravine, thus continuing the course they had 
been following from the first. Not far from 
the spot the gorge rapidly broadened, with 
such gentle slopes on the right and left that 
it was not difficult for any animal to make his 
way out of it. Had the two officers, on the 
first sound of the approaching flood, hastened 
in the same direction, they could have escaped 
without danger. 

But the ponies were fleeing in the dark, and 
it was simple accident that led Kitty to climb 
out to the left, before her hoofs were wet by 
the rush of the torrent. Her companion con¬ 
tinued in the gorge and was never seen again. 
Fortune was less kind to him than to his 
master and companion. 


104 THE PATH IN THE KAVINE. 

It may be said that Kitty had been in no 
danger at all, so that her escape surpassed in 
some respects that of the officers themselves. 
The dryness of her accoutrement suggested the 
true explanation to her owner which, as we 
have explained, was confirmed by subsequent 
investigations. 

When Lieutenant Hillson wrapped himself 
in a heavy warm blanket, he executed a war 
dance, winding up with a whoop which would 
have done credit to a Blackfoot chieftain. 

“ Ah, if Palmer was only as lucky,” he said 
with a sigh. 

One of the best results of the officer’s good 
fortune was the strong hope it inspired in his 
heart for his friend. He reasoned that if he 
and his mare escaped the flood, there was 
good grounds for believing Palmer had done 
equally well. True, he had no grizzly bear to 
land him, but Hillson believed he could man¬ 
age that point without such aid. 

So it came about that, while the elder was 
in despair over the fate of the younger, the 
latter was hopeful in the highest degree con¬ 
cerning him. 


A FRIEND TRIED AND TRUE. 105 

But Hillson appreciated the situation too 
well to waste time in rejoicings. Nothing was 
to be seen of the other horse, and he believed 
it likely that Palmer was afoot without a 
blanket to protect him from the cold. His first 
aim, therefore, was to find his companion. 

He spent several minutes in figuring out, as 
nearly as he could, his position as to the 
mountain trail, which, if found, would serve 
him as a compass, as Palmer expected it to 
do in his case. 

He followed a different system from his 
brother officer. Instead of following the 
course of the gorge, he turned away from it, 
plunging deeper into the hills and mountains. 
One reason for doing this was because of his 
mare. He could tread in many jplaces where 
she could not walk, and the necessity of pick¬ 
ing out a route for her led him through a 
different part of the wild region. 

But the path along the mountain side was 
his objective point from the first, so that while 
the friends followed different routes their des¬ 
tination was the same. 

In fact, the principal anxiety of Hillson was 


106 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

that he would be unable to extricate his mare 
from the rugged section in which she was 
forced. He mounted, and, with his blanket 
wrapped around his shoulders and his black 
hair uncovered, might well be mistaken for a 
Blackfoot Indian who had been out rather 
late the night before and was effecting a zig¬ 
zag return to his wigwam or tepee. 

Hillson had pushed his way for an eighth of 
a mile in this laborious fashion, when his ani¬ 
mal stopped without word from him. She 
had reason for doing so, for she could pene¬ 
trate no further. 

“ Well, Kitty,” he said with a sigh, “ this 
is rather rough ; you have done your best, but 
it looks as if it is love’s labor lost. The gates 
are closed in front and we must hunt some 
other path.” 

Slipping from the saddle he left the animal 
to search for an outlet. He could not think 
of retracing his steps, since there was no surety 
of gaining anything by the act. It would 
have proven a strange condition of affairs if 
he should find himself obliged to abandon 
Kitty altogether. 


A FRIEND TRIED AND TRUE. 107 

But tlie wonderfully good fortune that had 
attended him thus far did not desert him now. 
He crept only a few rods among the bowlders 
and rocks, when, before he expected anything 
of the kind, he stepped into a well-worn path. 

u It looks as if I were in a land of enchant¬ 
ment,” he said, “ for everything I want or 
need comes to me. This trail is the only way 
to safety for my mare and me.” 

He did not linger a minute, but, returning 
to where Kitty was awaiting him, began help¬ 
ing her forward. It was not necessary to lead 
her by the bridle, but at a word she began 
working her way after him, he carefully select¬ 
ing the path for her hoofs. 

It was hard work, indeed, and more than 
once she stumbled and fell on her side, but 
she was instantly up and at it again, her 
master cheering her with encouraging words, 
while a chamois could hardly have surpassed 
her achievement. 

“Here we are, Kitty!” he exclaimed, pat¬ 
ting her neck, when they stood in the narrow 
path, she directly behind him. Her hand¬ 
some coat had been ruffled, and she was not 


108 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

able to escape several rough bruises, but the 
injuries, after all, amounted to little, and she 
was as ready for active service as when she 
bore him from the fort the day before on their 
way to the Bear Paw Mountains. 

It now occurred to Lieutenant Hillson that 
the trail which he was so glad to find was not 
likely to prove an unmixed blessing. 

Since the path was there, it was proper to 
ascertain the reason for its existence. It must 
have been made either by the feet of wild ani¬ 
mals or men. It has been stated that among 
these mountains were members of the various 
tribes of Indians, who were far different from 
those met at Fort Assinaboine and on the cul¬ 
tivated portions of the reservation. They felt 
little fear of the military power in those inac¬ 
cessible fastnesses, where a half dozen warriors 
could defy the whole United States Army, as 
Geronimo and his handful of Apaches did for 
years. 

The course of the trail, so far as he could 
see, was favorable, and, without spending time 
in studying it, he once more climbed into the 
saddle and started Kitty at a moderate walk. 


A FRIEND TRIED AND TRUE. 109 

The path was too narrow for a couple of 
horsemen to ride abreast, but that was likely 
to be the case had the footprints been those of 
men or animals, since both travel in the same 
manner. It would not have been pleasant to 
follow the path into a village of red men, 
though, had the choice been forced upon him, 
he would have preferred it to turning back. 

He noticed that the trend was downward, 
though not inconveniently so for Kitty, who 
advanced without hesitation, as if she too 
understood the streak of good fortune. 

Probably an eighth of a mile was passed in 
this manner, when, without the least warning, 
a curve in the trail brought him in sight of a 
single Indian wigwam, standing at the right in 
a small natural clearing. The mare pricked 
her ears and slackened her gait, as if not fully 
satisfied with the appearance of things. Hill- 
son brought her to a halt, and spent several 
minutes in inspecting the outlook. 

The trail was enclosed on its sides by rocks 
and an unusually dense growth of trees, which 
shut off the view except immediately in front, 
so that the meeting, as it may be called, came 


110 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

without the notice he would have received had 
the topography been different. 

As far as he could see, there was but the 
single tepee, which was of the usual conical 
shape, with the tops of several poles projecting 
through the crest, and a flap in the skins below 
showing the only door with which the abor¬ 
iginal residence was furnished. 


CHAPTER XIII. 

THE DESCENDING PATH. 

B UT Lieutenant Hillson was less interested 
in the tepee than in the occupants. He 
had seen hundreds of similar lodges in the 
Northwest and knew they contained enemies 
more frequently than friends. 

The singular feature of the scene was that 
only the single primitive structure was in sight. 
It is a rare thing for the American Indian to 
play the hermit. Their numbers may be few, 
but where one family is, it is safe to count upon 
several. As the mare slowly walked along the 
trail and brought her rider in front of the 
lodge, however, it became manifest that there 
was but the single dwelling. 

That was curious, but the youth would have 
felt better pleased had the dwellers shown 
themselves. Not a living person was in sight, 
in 


112 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

He hoped all were absent, but it was not prob¬ 
able. The existence of an Indian’s lodge 
means that some member of his family is 
near. 

The ignorance of Hillson on these points 
left the imagination free to conjure up all 
manner of perils. He fancied the red men 
had detected him before he saw the lodge, and 
were only waiting until he reached a certain 
point in the trail before opening upon him 
with their rifles. He even fixed the precise 
spot where the attack would be made. 

There was a slight depression in the gravelly 
ground, a few inches to the left of the path, as 
if made by the hoof of a horse slipping. 

“ There's where I will catch it! ” he thought, 
giving way to one of those powerful whims 
which at certain times the strongest minds 
cannot resist; “the instant Kitty puts her 
forefoot opposite that spot they will fire at 
me! ” 

Such being his conviction, perhaps the 
reader can form an idea of his feelings as his 
mare steadily drew near the point. He tried 
to laugh at himself, but at the decisive moment 


THE DESCENDING PATH. 113 

his feelings were too strong. He ducked his 
head and cast a furtive look behind him. 

No shot was fired and he saw nothing to 
cause alarm. The flap of the lodge was pulled 
aside, and at the upper part of the opening 
appeared a pair of bright black eyes, a por¬ 
tion of the copper forehead and upper part of 
the cheeks of someone slyly peeping at him 
as he rode past. 

That countenance did not belong to a war¬ 
rior nor to a foe. It was that of some child 
or comely squaw (that is as comely as they are 
ever known to be), and being satisfied of this, 
Hillson extended his hand and fluttered it in 
salutation, nodding his head at the same time 
and smiling in his very best style. 

Possibly the sight of the bareheaded man 
with a blanket wrapped about his shoulders, 
riding by on the pony, raised a doubt in the 
mind of the Indian as to his race, and she was 
trying to answer the question when the mys¬ 
terious horseman turned and saluted her. 

That removed all doubts. The hand that 
was withdrawn from under the blanket and 
gracefully waved, the smiling nod, and, above 
8 



114 THE PATH IN THE KAVINE. 

all, the full view of tlie face and features 
showed the Caucasian too clearly to be mis¬ 
taken. 

The instant the Indian saw the attention of 
the white youth fixed upon her (or possibly 
him), she withdrew from sight like a flash. 

“But all the same she is watching me,” 
laughed Hillson, passing from view around a 
bend in the trail. 

He was now able to laugh at his own fears, 
though he was not altogether rid of them. 
The dread of a shot in the back led him to 
force Kitty to a trot, which was the swiftest 
gait attainable along the narrow path. She 
held it for several hundred yards when the 
ground became so rough and descending that 
she was forced to pick her way with greater 
care. 

The fact that the grade was steadily down¬ 
ward impressed Hillson. He had already 
settled in his mind that it was not the path 
made by wild animals in going to and return¬ 
ing from water, but a genuine Indian trail. ' 

“And I have no doubt that the hoof of the 
Wild Cat’s pony or his own moccason has 


THE DESCENDING PATH. 115 

pressed the ground here many a time,” he 
muttered, referring to one of the worst vagrant 
Blackfeet known on the reservation ; “I have 
been half expecting to meet him ever since I 
struck this path ; it would have been singular 
if that lodge back there proved to be his 
own.” 

Hillson was giving his fancy free rein when 
Kitty pricked her ears and slackened her pace 
in a way that left no doubt she had discovered 
something in the path in front. Her rider had 
hardly time to grasp his revolver, which he 
had just shoved back into place, when the 
noise of a pony came round a bend in the trail, 
quickly followed by his small, shapely head, 
coal black in color, with an Indian warrior 
astride of his bare back. 

“ That’s the Wild Cat!” was the thought 
which instantly came to the startled youth, 
“ and a row is bound to come.” 

The Blackfoot vagrant to whom he referred 
had an ugly countenance, with irregular fea¬ 
tures, made tenfold more repulsive by the 
vario-colored paint daubed and streaked over 
it. His long, coarse black hair dangled over 



116 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

his shoulders, and the eyes had the evil gleam 
of the rattlesnake. 

The Wild Cat carried a rifle across the spine 
of his pony in front, and an ugly knife was 
thrust into the girdle about his waist. 

Whether he was alarmed at sight of the 
young man approaching cannot be said, but 
if so he gave no evidence of it. He rode evenly 
forward, his pony on a walk, with his piercing 
eyes fixed on the face of the young man. Per¬ 
haps he recognized him as one he had seen 
at the fort, though he must have wondered at 
sight of the head, without any covering except 
that which crowned his own, and with the 
blanket drawn up and gathered about the 
chin. 

The cloth, whose ends fell about Hillson’s 
knees and feet, completely covered his hand 
and arms, except where the fingers of one hand 
partly peeped out and held the folds together. 

The other clasped the single revolver in his 
possession, ready to fire at the first hostile 
move on the part of the notorious vagrant, 
who preferred murder and thieving to any 
other forms of amusement. 


THE DESCENDING PATH. 117 

The Wild Cat saw himself approached in a 
manner different from ever before. He could 
not know what was beneath that all-enveloping 
blanket, nor how ready some deadly weapon 
was to be discharged. Had the arms been 
uncovered he could have formed his “ combina¬ 
tion,” and guided his own actions with more 
intelligence, but the danger most dreaded is 
that whose nature is unknown or only sus¬ 
pected. 

The Wild Cat gave part of the path. Kitty 
was about to reciprocate when Hillson checked 
her, holding her to the centre of the trail. 

The Indian pony was obliged to step entirely 
outside and pick his way forward, while the 
mare strode forward like an empress. 

The knees of the lieutenant and the Black- 
foot grazed as they met, but the look of the 
youth was as defiant as that of the vagrant, 
who found the flash of his own treacherous 
orbs met by the manly glow of the youth who 
feared him not. 

They passed without a word or a hostile 
movement, though each was prepared to meet 
it with lightning quickness. Hillson had 


118 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

bluffed magnificently, but lie was vastly 
relieved when another bend in the descending 
trail shut them out from each other’s sight. 
He dreaded one of those quick discharges from 
the rifle of the Blackfoot. 

But nothing of the kind took place, and the 
lieutenant was beginning to congratulate him¬ 
self that all danger was over, when Kitty unex¬ 
pectedly showed that she had made another 
discovery. 

This time, instead of simply pricking her 
ear, she came to a stop, snuffing and looking 
so sharply to the left that it was easy to locate 
the point where the danger was located. 

Her rider did not urge her, for his confidence 
in her intelligence was too great. Instead of 
that he softly slipped from the saddle and 
began stealing through the wood and among 
the rocks, with the noiseless tread of an 
Indian, little dreaming of what was to meet 
his vision within the following three minutes. 


CHAPTER XIV. 


THE LOWER LEVEL. 

L EAVING his mare Kitty standing in the 
4 path, Lieutenant Hillson continued tread¬ 
ing his way through the bushes, undergrowth, 
and wood, and around the bowlders and rocks, 
until he had penetrated to a distance of fifty 
yards, when he stopped. He had caught the 
outlines of a figure through the vegetation. 

The second look identified it. It was 
Palmer, with his back toward him, apparently 
debating with himself the next step to take. 

Hillson’s heart gave a throb of delight, and 
he was planning a surprise, when, in his agita¬ 
tion, he stepped upon a twig which snapped 
under his foot. His friend turned his head 
with a start. 

“Hello, Russ!” 

“Hello, Al!” 

And the next minute their hands met in a 


119 


120 THE PATH IN THE EAVINE. 

clasp as warm as that of the night before, when 
both believed the farewell the final one. 

A few words told each the strange experi¬ 
ence of the other since their separation. The 
exchange was hardly finished when Hillson, 
taking the blanket from his shoulders, flung 
it about those of Palmer. 

“ You need it more than I do.” 

“A compromise will be better,” replied 
Palmer, who, although his teeth were chat¬ 
tering, drew his knife, and proceeded deliber¬ 
ately to cut the cloth into halves. This made 
the portion of each scanty, but the comfort 
afforded to both was appreciated to its fullest 
extent. 

“Well, old fellow,” said Hillson, as they 
began picking their way to where Kitty w r as 
awaiting them, “I think this little expedition 
of ours has not been a howling success.” 

“ In one respect it has not, but in another it 
has never been surpassed.” 

“I have thought the same as you about our 
escape from the torrent,” replied Hillson, un¬ 
derstanding to what he referred; “but again 
I have asked myself, that since both of us 


THE LOWER LEVEL. 121 

escaped, whether it was so wonderful, after 
all.” 

The elder shook his head. 

“ Don’t make the mistake of minifying our 
deliverance, which I do not believe could be 
repeated again in a thousand times. To me it 
is little short of a miracle.” 

“I have thanked God many a time, and 
shall continue to do so as long as I live, for it 
was the most striking event of its kind that I 
have ever known.” 

“We have lost our rifles, and I shall never 
see my horse again, while we shall have to 
make a requisition on the commissary depart¬ 
ment before we are fit to go on parade, but 
what will not a man give in exchange for his 
life?” 

“ Here we are,” observed Hillson, halting in 
the path. 

“Ah, Kitty, I am glad to see you,” said 
Palmer, petting the intelligent mare, “and I 
really suspect you do not feel very bad over 
my return, do you, my pretty jade ? ” 

The animal’s pleasure was shown as clearly 
as when she greeted Hillson, who, with a 


122 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

laugli, remarked that if this thing continued, 
he would begin to grow jealous. 

44 She will be glad to carry us both,” he 
added, 4 4 though we shan’t be able to make 
very great speed with her. I wonder whither 
this path will lead us if we stick to it.” 

Palmer studied the position of the sun a few 
minutes before answering: 

44 It has almost the right course, but we can 
hardly hope that it joins the mountain trail 
we were foolish enough to leave yesterday 
afternoon.” 

However, it was clear that nothing was to 
be gained by speculating. The only way to 
settle the questions that came up was by push¬ 
ing forward and finding out for themselves. 

Lieutenant Palmer took the lead, with Hill- 
son walking close behind him, and Kitty fol¬ 
lowing like an affectionate canine. They did 
not mean to tax her strength until it should 
become necessary. Palmer had done consider¬ 
able hard tramping since early morning, but 
he declined his friend’s invitation to ride. 
The trail continued to descend, though occa¬ 
sional rises were encountered, and many a 


THE LOWER LEVEL. 


123 


bowlder and rock were flanked by tiresome 
detours. 

The hopes of the young officers were that 
the path they were following would lead them 
to the mountain trail, though they were not 
without grave doubts from the first. It has 
been explained that if they could return to 
the route they were following on entering the 
mountain region, they could have ridden 
straight to Fort Assinaboine without loss of 
time. 

Their doubts were confirmed at the end of 
half an hour, when they were convinced they 
were as far from the mountain trail, if not 
actually farther, than when they first met. 
This might or might not be favorable. If it 
wound among the foot-hills to the more open 
country northward, little would be lost; but 
they saw that if they wished to reach the fort 
before night, no time must be thrown away. 

“What’s the use of playing the hypo¬ 
crite?” suddenly asked Palmer, turning his 
head and looking at his companion with an 
odd expression on his face. 

“ What do you mean, old fellow ?” 


124 THE PATH IN THE KAVINE. 

44 You are waiting for me to refer to it, and 
I have been holding back for you, but you are 
too pig-headed to come down like a man and 
own up.” 

Hillson’s looks showed his continued per¬ 
plexity. 

44 Confound it! we are both half starved to 
death, though we haven’t said so. Am I right, 
Lieutenant Russell Hillson ? ” 

44 You never hit the head of the nail more 
squarely in all your life; although I have 
had nothing to say I have kept up a lively 
thinking as to how we can get something to 
fill the aching void within, that grows steadily 
more aching each half hour.” 

44 Have you found the solution ?” 

44 Hot yet, though I don’t feel that the time 
has come to despair; we have each his re¬ 
volver with plenty of cartridges that have not 
been harmed by the water. This is a country 
abounding with game, but it takes something 
bigger than pistols to bring it down.” 

44 We ought to get nigh enough to something 
eatable to wing it with a pistol shot,” replied 
Palmer, resuming his lead of the xuocession. 


THE LOWER LEVEL. 


125 


It was evident by this time that they had 
left most of the mountains behind them, and, 
though they saw nothing of the other trail to 
which they had pinned their hopes, they were 
as far from the wild precipitous section as 
though they had followed it down the side of 
the towering inaccessible walls, which they 
were able to pierce only at the one point where 
the fissure appeared on their left. 

In other words, the mountain trail would 
have improved their present situation only 
slightly beyond giving them the power to 
locate themselves more definitely. 

Having exchanged their views on the food 
question, they pushed on once more, neither 
speaking, for almost half an hour. By that 
time the face of the country underwent a 
marked change. 

The brush, rocks, bowlders, and roughness 
remained, but they had reached a much lower 
level than at any time since morning. The 
trail not only ceased its downward trend, but 
was broader and so much fainter that it was 
evident it served as an outlet from the moun¬ 
tainous regions, and that the Indians who 


126 


THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 


were accustomed to use it for that purpose 
diverged to the right and left after reaching 
the section where our friends now found them¬ 
selves. 

They came to a stop, as if they felt a crisis 
had been reached. 

44 My proposition,” said the elder, 44 is that 
we go into camp here and renew, in a humble 
way, the hunt on which we started yester¬ 
day.” 

44 1 am afraid Indians are not far off,” replied 
his companion. 

44 1 have seen no signs of them.” 

44 But that signifies nothing; we are follow¬ 
ing one of their trails, and I have had a 
suspicion all along that we shall hear from 
the Wild Cat before we reach the fort.” 

4 4 He has had plenty of time to overtake you 
if he wished to do so ; besides, he won’t dare 
to molest us while he is alone.” 

44 That’s the point; he is likely to get some 
of his warriors together and follow us so rapidly 
that we cannot keep out of his way.” 

44 1 respectfully renew my proposition that 
we go upon a foraging expedition,” said 


THE LOWER LEVEL. 


127 


Palmer, who felt that his hunger could bear 
inattention no longer. 

“Very well; I am as anxious for food as 
you, though it is mighty little chance I see of 
getting it.” 


CHAPTER XY. 


AN ANTELOPE. 


HE officers had campaigned long enough 



JL in the. Northwest to neglect no precaution 
at such a time. Kitty was carefully led from 
the trail to a point so far off that she could 
not be seen by anyone passing along the path. 
Fortunately, her friends found a spot where 
considerable grass was growing. It was 
welcome, as she proved by beginning to crop 
it without delay. 

Reaching the main path once more, Palmer 
and Hillson devoted several minutes to blotting 
out the prints of her hoofs. This could not be 
fully done, but they were convinced that even 
a Blackfoot Indian would have to scan the 
ground closely to detect the impressions of 
their single animal. 

In obedience to a whim rather than as the 
result of reasoning, Hillson knelt down and 
pressed his ear to the ground. 


128 



AN ANTELOPE. 


129 


“By gracious!” lie exclaimed, instantly 
rising ; “ someone is coming, sure enough ! ” 

As he spoke he made a leap from the trail 
and hastily scrambled to the dense under¬ 
growth near at hand. Behind these he lay 
flat, Palmer placing himself by his side. 

“Are you sure you were not mistaken 
asked the elder, after waiting a minute. 

“The sounds were too distinct- Sh! 

does that look as if I was in error ?” 

It was the Wild Cat himself who rode into 
sight. Behind him came two other ponies, 
each bearing a warrior with knife and rifle. 
They were as grim and silent as spectres, ap¬ 
parently gazing straight ahead and seeing 
nothing not in front of their horse’s noses. 

But the youths needed no one to tell them 
that the keen black eyes of each took in 
the ground on either hand and were sure to 
see objects that would escape the ordinary 
vision. 

The question which each officer asked him¬ 
self was whether any or all were likely to 
detect Kitty’s footprints. If so, what would 
follow ? 

9 


130 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

If they were in pursuit of Hillson (for they 
had no reason to know he had a companion), 
they were not likely to suspect he had turned 
aside from the main trail, and, sharp as was 
their eyesight, they were not scrutinizing the 
ground for evidence of such diversion. 

The coming of the Blackfeet was so sudden 
that Hillson and Palmer were given no time to 
agree upon their course of action, but each 
held liis only weapon grasped in his right 
hand and ready for instant use. Neither was 
willing to run from these vagrants, even though 
they were veteran warriors each armed with 
a deadly rifle. The moment the miscreants 
wheeled from the path they w T ould rise to con¬ 
front them and await their business. 

But the threatened collision did not occur, 
for the reason that the Wild Cat and his com¬ 
panions rode straight on, their ponies on a 
walk, until they passed from sight a short 
way beyond. Then Hillson and Palmer 
looked at each other before rising from the 
ground. 

“ I would give considerable,” said the latter, 
“to know the real meaning of that; we are 


AN ANTELOPE. 


131 


acting as tliongli they are enemies seeking onr 
lives, when, after all, we may be mistaken.” 

u We know the Wild Cat is bad enough to 
shoot his own brother, but it is not impossible 
that he is afraid of the consequences of putting 
an extinguisher on us.” 

Should it turn out that the Blackfeet were 
hunting for the officers, the latter saw the risk 
of hunting game in the neighborhood; and 
yet, great as was the danger, they undertook 
to do so within the next five minutes. Not 
only that, but they parted company the better 
to ensure success. 

Palmer in one respect was not disappointed. 
He had picked his way only a short distance, 
after parting from his friend, when a soft 
rustling in the vegetation directly in front 
warned him he was approaching some man or 
animal. Hoping it was the latter, he sank on 
his hands and knees and began feeling every 
inch that he passed. Fortunately there was 
no wind blowing, so his scent could not be 
carried to the game, if such it proved to be. 

The anxious hunter’s heart fluttered a 
minute later, when he caught the indistinct 


132 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

outlines of some creature still in a direct line 
with his approach. So great was his agitation 
that for a minute or two he believed he must 
give way to an attack of “ buck fever.” But 
by a resolute exercise of the will he overcame 
that strange, nervous weakness, and, with the 
steadiness of a veteran, resumed his painfully 
slow advance. 

The fever threatened him again when he 
identified the game as a solitary antelope 
cropping the tender shoots and leaves from 
some bushes by which it was surrounded. 

Ah, if he could but bring it down, what 
a royal feast he and Ilillson would make! 
His hunger was now so keen that he cared 
nothing for the Wild Cat and liis warriors. 
There might have been a hundred of the most 
venomous dusky vagrants camped within a 
stone’s throw, but he would not abandon the 
chance of securing the banquet for which he 
longed with a yearning that was felt through 
every fibre of his being. 

The delicacy of the lieutenant’s situation 
will be appreciated. Had he possessed his 
Winchester at the moment of detecting the 


A 1ST ANTELOPE. 


133 


antelope, lie could have brought it down with 
ease, but he must get still closer before he 
could use his pistol effectively. 

Could he do it ? 

Since an absolute calm prevailed, it would 
seem that he had only to make his advance 
noiseless. The antelope kind are not only 
gifted with wonderfully fine eyesight and 
scent, but their hearing is so fine that one finds 
it hard to understand how a hunter is ever 
able to bring them down. 

Palmer glanced at the ground immediately 
in front, and so far as he could judge it was 
favorable. With hardly a pause, therefore, 
he resumed creeping forward, his weapon in 
hand, for he was now so close that he had 
decided to fire should the creature start, even 
though he was not as near as he wished. 

It was a rare piece of good fortune that he 
had been able to catch sight of the antelope, 
and if it were once scared away, there was no 
possible chance of gaining another shot at it. 

The timid creature continued browsing for a 
minute or two longer, as if in perfect security. 
Then, all at once, it stopped and raised its 


134 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

head, as if listening. Many species of game 
make a practice of this, which is not a sign 
that they have heard anything, but rather an 
ordinary precaution against the approach of 
enemies. 

Palmer’s heart was in his mouth, and he 
brought his pistol to the front. 

“ Whatever happens,” he thought, “ I shall 
give you a shot, but I prefer not to do so 
just yet.” 

The creature resumed its browsing, as if 
satisfied, and understanding- its meaning, he 
began moving forward once more with a slow¬ 
ness which made his progress like that of the 
hour hand around the face of a clock. 

But almost at the same moment, the ante¬ 
lope ceased browsing again, and threw up its 
head, its jaws half filled with autumn leaves 
and shoots. It held those jaws motionless, 
that nothing should interfere with its delicacy 
of hearing. 

“ That means something,” was the truthful 
conclusion of the alarmed Palmer; “it is 
suspicious.” 

He had not detected the slightest rustling 


AN ANTELOPE. 


135 


made by himself, and yet that might have been 
the case, while the extraordinary hearing of 
the antelope gave it warning. 

The hunter would have asked for only ten 
feet more before using his pistol. That 
attained, he was confident he could bring down 
the game. As the matter stood, he considered 
the chances of a miss or hit as about even. 

The pretty creature held its attitude of 
intense attention only a minute or two, when 
it whirled like a flash of sunlight and was 
gone. 

It flight was amazingly quick, but Palmer 
had been expecting it and was prepared. The 
instant it turned he let fly with three chambers 
of his Colt. He discharged them with the 
utmost celerity, but the animal was out of 
sight when the last bullet sped after it, simply 
following after the others with which he had 
managed to secure something resembling an 
aim. 

The disappointment was so bitter that 
Palmer could not submit without a desperate 
effort to retrieve it. At another time he would 
have laughed at the hunter, placed as he was, 


136 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

who tried to gain a second chance to bag an 
antelope with a Colt revolver as his only- 
weapon. Leaping to his feet he dashed after 
the fleeing game as though he expected to run 
it down by his own superior fleetness. It was 
not until he had stumbled and fallen several 
times, and was panting from his severe ex¬ 
haustion, that he paused with a full under¬ 
standing of the folly of the task. 

“ What a fool! ” he muttered ; “ that ante- 
telope is a mile away by this time and still 
going. I may hunt for a week without getting 
such a chance again. If I did hit it with one 
of my charges, the hurt was only enough to 
lend wings to its flight. I hope,” he added 
with a sigh, 44 that Hillson has done better, 
but I haven’t heard anything from his 
pistol.” 

He recalled that he had travelled a goodly 
distance from the spot where he separated 
from his friend, and that unless he used great 
care they would become lost to each other. 
While that might mean nothing serious, it 
ensured a long and laborious tramp to the fort, 
during which he must suffer a great deal. 


AN ANTELOPE. 


137 


He recalled, too, another alarming prob¬ 
ability. 

“ What will the Wild Cat and his warriors 
think of the report of my pistol, for they must 
have heard it? If they mean any crooked 
business, I have given them valuable help. 

“Come to think, though,” he added grimly, 
“it is likely to prove of no assistance at all. 
Suppose they hastened to the spot where they 
heard the firing, they would have no more 
chance of overtaking me than I had of running 
down the antelope.” 


CHAPTER XVI. 


AN EXCHANGE. 


EUTENANT PALMER sat down on a 



i J huge stone until he could recover his 
breath. He did not need the half blanket he 
had managed to retain during his hurried 
movements, for he was in a warmer glow than 
he had experienced for a long time. 

He was about to rise for the purpose of seek¬ 
ing his companion, with the advice that they 
were only throwing away time in their efforts 
to secure game, and urging him to hasten to 
the fort, when he heard a low, bird-like whistle, 
apparently from a point behind him. 

His first thought was that it was made by 
some bird, but something peculiar in the tone 
and its manner of repetition, reminded him of 
the signal which he and Hillson sometimes 
used when on their hunting excursions. 

“ It must be lie,” he said, after the call had 


138 


AN EXCHANGE. 139 

been repeated several times ; “ anyway I shall 
soon know.” 

He replied, and the next moment his face 
lit up. 

“ I might have known it was Hillson ; but I 
don’t understand the need of his working 
business in that style.” 

By occasional signalling to each other, the 
young officers kept track of their mutual 
positions and were able to meet without a pro¬ 
longed search. 

“I heard your pistol,” said Hillson, “but I 
don’t see any game.” 

“Nor I either ; it was another failure, my 
boy ; I hoped that you had met with more 
success.” 

“ I haven’t had the first glimpse of anything 
of the kind, though I neglected nothing I could 
think of ; there isn’t much fun in this kind of 
sport, Palmer.” 

“ Why were you so guarded in signalling to 
me?” 

“ So the Blackfeet wouldn’t notice it.” 

“ Were they anywhere near ? ” 

“There are five of them encamped within a 


140 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

hundred yards of where we saw the Wild Cat 
and that couple ride past.” 

Palmer was astonished, as he might well be, 
and liis friend explained : 

“ You had been gone only a little while, and 
I was groping around for game, when I 
came within a hair of stumbling right into the 
encampment of redskins. I w r as just in time 
to save myself, when I took some careful 
observations. The first thing I noticed was 
that the Wild Cat and those whom we saw 
were there. They had dismounted and their 
ponies were cropping the grass near by. All 
five of the warriors seemed to be holding an 
earnest talk about something, which of course 
was beyond my finding out.” 

“You had no means of judging whether 
they were friends or enemies ? ” 

“ None, but one fact interested me ; the two 
Indians that were first there had been cooking 
some kind of game. I saw fragments of the 
feast lying about, and the faint odor I caught 
drove me almost frantic. I did not dare go 
forward and beg for a share, and, while trying 
to decide on what was best to do, it occurred 


AN EXCHANGE. 


141 


to me that you might spoil everything by 
tiring your revolver. They would hear the 
report, and, if they wanted to find you, the 
means was thus furnished. 

U I was so nervous over the fear of such a 
mistake on your part, that I stole away from 
the camp and set out to find you. Before I 
could do so, I was startled by hearing the three 
shots from your pistol. I started on a run to 
overtake you, but you travelled too fast for 
me ; so I saved my strength and fell back on the 
signal which I was sure you would recognize.” 

“We have been acting on the theory all 
along,” said Palmer, “ that every Indian 
whom we meet or see in this part of the world 
is a foe. I believe we are mistaken, though it 
is erring on the safe side. Inasmuch as there 
is no chance of our getting any game without 
rifles, I propose that we take Kitty and strike 
a bee line for the fort. We have not been 
deprived so very long of food, though I am 
sure neither of us could be any hungrier if we 
hadn’t tasted a morsel for a week.” 

“If we find our appetites too much for us 
we can fall back on our shoes.” 


142 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

“ Or Kitty,” suggested Palmer significantly. 

But her owner shook his head : 

“We must approach much nearer famishing 
before a hair of her body shall be harmed.” 

The couple found themselves close to the trail 
over which they had passed some time before. 
They walked briskly in the direction taken 
by the Wild Cat and his companions, of whom 
nothing was seen. Peaching the point where 
the mare had been turned aside, Hillson said : 

“Before making our start for home, let’s 
have another try for food ; come with me.” 

Without asking for any explanation, Palmer 
kept company with his friend, who speedily 
left the trail and made a wide detour to the 
left. By and by he paused long enough to 
whisper: 

“We are approaching the camp I told you 
about.” 

“Do you understand the danger?” asked 
Palmer. 

“I am quite sure Ido,” was the surprised 
answer. 

“ I mean the danger to the Indians ?” 

“ How \ ” 


AN EXCHANGE. 


143 


“If I get a sniff of that game you told me 
about, I won’t be satisfied with anything less 
than it all; they will probably refuse ; then 
I will become irrestrainable and woe to the 
red men ! ” 

Hillson smiled, but uttered no comment. 
He had pushed only a short way further, 
when he said : 

“That’s good; it’s just what I hoped, but 
hardly expected.” 

If Lieutenant Palmer, after firing his three 
ineffective shots at the frightened antelope, 
were told he had hit the “bull’s eye,” he could 
not have appreciated the jest; but he now 
saw he had builded better than he knew : the 
miss was the very best thing that could have 
happened. 

It drew the attention of the Blackfeet to the 
fact that white men were near at hand ; for 
the short, sharp crack of their revolvers was 
familiar to them. Instead of setting off in 
haste after the one that had discharged the 
weapon, however, they made toward another 
point of the compass. It was not their inten¬ 
tion to run into any ambush set for them by 


144 


THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 


tlie cunning palefaces. They were not the 
ones to break the laws until an opportunity 
was given to gauge the probable consequences. 

They were gone, and, although the proceed¬ 
ing of the young officers savored of rashness, 
they hastened to the deserted camp, and pro¬ 
ceeded to help themselves to the fragments 
of the feast which were plentifully scattered 
around. 

It cannot be said that the meal was the 
choicest of which they had lately partaken, 
but their intense hunger gave it a relish which 
no condiment ever invented could equal. 
They ate rapidly, with furtive glances around 
lest the red men should pounce upon them 
before they were aware. 

Nothing occurred to alarm them, for, with 
all their cunning, the Wild Cat and his war¬ 
riors were not likely to suspect any such flank 
movement as that named. The meal was 
speedily completed and Hillson and Palmer 
were ready to push their return to Fort Assina- 
boine to the utmost. 

And just then, when it would seem that all 
real danger was over, the young officers came 


AN EXCHANGE. 


145 


near committing a blunder which threatened 
their overthrow. Palmer halted at the edge of 
the trail to watch against the Blackfeet, while 
Hillson hurried after his mare, which had been 
left only a short distance off. 

The first surprise came when he reached the 
place, and, after thoroughly examining it, saw 
nothing of the animal. He walked back and 
forth, pronouncing her name in a guarded 
voice, but there was no answering neigh. 

Finally he stooped down and studied a faint 
impression beside the one made by the hoof of 
his matchless steed, where the ground was still 
moist and soft. 

“Just what I feared!” he muttered, 
straightening up ; “ that’s the mark of a moc- 
cason. While Palmer and I were helping 
ourselves to dinner the Blackfeet were helping 
themselves to my property ; but they haven’t 
got away with it yet,” he added, with a flash 
of his handsome eyes; “and if the court 
knows herself, and she thinks she do, there 
there will be a first class row before that little 
thing is accomplished.” 


10 


CHAPTER XVII 


THE TOSS OF A NICKEL. 

HILE Lieutenant Hillson was searching 



V V for his pet mare, Kitty, Lieutenant 
Palmer was holding his place as sentinel along 
the trail only a short way off. 

He was wondering at the delay of his friend, 
when, to his amazement, a Blackfoot warrior 
came riding along the path from the north. 
He appeared so suddenly that the young 
officer had no time to get out of his sight. He 
therefore made the best of it, and assumed a 
boldness which would have become him had 
he been at the head of a squad of well-armed 
troopers. 

Palmer’s supposition was that the Indian 
was the first of the party about which Hillson 
had told him only a few minutes before, but 
when the scamp had advanced to a point nearly 
opposite, he perceived he was alone. 


146 


THE TOSS OF A NICKEL. 1^7 

He perceived also that the pony which he 
was riding was Kitty, and Palmer rose to 
the situation at once. 

There are no more inveterate horse thieves 
in the world than the vagrant Indians of 
the West and ISTortliwest. It was evident 
that this particular one had stumbled upon 
the valuable mare, and was making off with 
her. 

Lieutenant Palmer stepped into the path in 
front of Kitty, who gave a faint whinny of 
recognition, and, levelling his revolver at the 
amazed redskin, said : 

4 4 Come down out of that or I will let day¬ 
light through you ! ’ 9 

The Blackfoot may have been ignorant of 
the niceties of the English language, but no 
words were required to make clear the mean¬ 
ing of the young officer. He slid from the 
saddle as though jerked therefrom, and hast¬ 
ened to say: 

4 4 Gib horse—good friend—tanks ! 55 

44 That’s all right; off with you, or this gun 
of mine may accidentally discharge itself and 
you’ll get hurt.” 


148 . THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

The warrior, completely flanked by the 
bluffing of the bareheaded young man in his 
half blanket, was glad enough to escape with 
a whole body, and he skurried along the trail 
with a speed which quickly took him out of 
sight. 

Meanwhile Hillson had caught the sound of 
voices, and lost no time in hurrying to the 
spot to learn what it meant. His surprise and 
delight was great. 

“I couldn’t have done better myself,” he 
said; “ but I am afraid we are not through 
with the Wild Cat and the rest.” 

“ It wasn’t he that I compelled to slip out 
of that saddle a good deal quicker than he 
got in.” 

‘‘But he belongs to his gang ; he is another 
of those vagrant Indians that are the curse of 
the reservations.” 

“Which being the case, it strikes me this 
is a good time for Kitty to carry double.” 

Hillson compelled his friend to take his 
place in the saddle, and was on the point of 
taking his seat behind him when he changed 
his mind. 


THE TOSS OF A NICKEL. 149 

“What’s that for?” asked Palmer. 

“ We can’t travel very fast just here, so I 
will walk ahead. As soon as we reach better 
ground I’ll join you.” 

The plan seemed a good one, and Palmer 
consented. He really needed the rest more 
than his companion, while it struck the latter 
that, in the event of a meeting with the Wild 
Cat or any of the “ Dog Indians,” he could act 
more effectively on his feet. Two officers on 
the same steed cannot look very formid¬ 
able, no matter how hard they may try to 
do so. 

The situation of the young men was unique. 
Like other white men, they were accustomed 
to travel back and forth over the reservation, 
with no more thought of molestation from the 
Indians than if journeying in a railway train. 
While hundreds of the aboriginal Americans 
are engaged in farming, and are peaceful and 
law abiding, the “Dog Indians” prefer horse 
thieving and all manner of outlawry. It is the 
fear of the white men that keeps most of the 
savages on the reservations docile. Those who 
will not be restrained wait till they are far 


150 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

enough from the forts to feel beyond the reach 
of the military. 

While, therefore, Hillson and Palmer con¬ 
sidered themselves in peril so long as they 
were in the mountains, where their dead bodies 
might lie weeks undiscovered, they knew that 
the nearer they placed themselves to Fort 
Assinaboine the less likely were they to be 
injured. 

It followed that the true course was to 
decrease that distance as fast as it could be 
done. Indeed, they believed that only a few 
miles were needed to ensure their safety. 

Hillson walked briskly along the path which 
for the time led directly toward the fort, 
Palmer following with Kitty. The Blackfeet 
were quite near, and it might be there were 
others besides those whom they had seen, who 
would be glad to fire a stealthy shot at the 
young men, provided they were safe against 
punishment. 

Palmer’s place in the saddle was a vast 
improvement, so far as comfort went, over 
that of walking, and he appreciated the kind¬ 
ness of his friend, who insisted that he should 


THE TOSS OF A NICKEL. 151 

ride ; but, all the same, lie felt that his situa¬ 
tion was the more dangerous because of its 
prominence, and the fact that the Blackfeet, 
as he believed, were likely to make their 
attack or demonstration from the rear. 

But fully a half mile was passed without 
the first evidence of the proximity of their 
enemies. Palmer continually looked behind 
him, while his friend, playing the part of 
guide, pushed on at a brisk gait, his hopes 
rising the further he went. 

A singular feature was noticed by both. 
The trail had grown fainter, until at one time 
it promised to disappear altogether; but it 
now became more distinct, suggesting that 
the Indians, who had gradually separated 
after coming down from the mountains, had 
resumed the process of coming together 
again. 

“All! ” said Hillson, abruptly halting and 
looking around with a smile, “ you know the 
old truth, that there are always two paths or 
roads in our front, and it is for us to choose 
the right or wrong one.” 

“ I think I have heard something of the 


152 THE PATH m THE KAVIWE. 

kind during my early childhood,” replied 
Palmer from the saddle. 

“We have now an illustration,” added the 
younger, repeating the dramatic gestures and 
manner of which he was an exponent when a 
country scliool-boy. 

“ I observe.” 

Palmer saw his reference. The clearly 
marked trail bifurcated directly in front of 
them. The angle was so gradual that the 
branches diverged like the sides of the letter 
V. Since one was probably the more direct 
course to the fort, they saw the need of mak¬ 
ing a right selection, though in that respect 
the question was not one of life and death. 

But when they had consulted a minute or 
two, each confessed to a strange belief that, 
after all, it had become a question of life and 
death. 

They had accepted the absence of all signs 
of the Blackfeet as proof that the vagrants 
dared follow them no farther because of the 
approach to Fort Assinaboine ; but now, when 
they came to consult over the matter, they 
feared it was another of the treacherous 


• THE TOSS OF A NICKEL. 153 

schemes of the Wild Cat, whose resentment 
over the bluffing received by him and his war¬ 
riors would rankle in his breast until he found 
the means of resenting the insult. 

44 Somewhere along one of these trails,” said 
Hillson, 44 that miscreant has laid an ambush, 
and lie and his brother dogs are waiting for us 
to walk into it.” 

44 But along which trail % ” asked Palmer. 

44 Aye, that's the question to be decided; 
you see that the chances for and against us 
are even. Now, if the Wild Cat fixes upon 
one he has some reason for it; what is that 
reason ? ” 

44 He has concluded that we will naturally 
take the most direct road to Assinaboine ; but, 
so far as I can judge, there is no choice in that 
respect.” 

44 Perhaps he will decide that we will follow 
the one most travelled.” 

44 And there is little choice in that respect.” 

44 Then,” continued Palmer, 44 it is more 
than likely that he has laid his ambush along 
loth paths, and the danger from one is as great 
as from the other.” 


154 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

“ It may be ; but I am inclined to think 
he has not enough warriors to divide in that 
fashion, but has concentrated them at one 
spot.” 

“If they were white men they would not go 
through all this fol de rol, when there are a 
hundred places already passed by us that 
would give them secure shelter; but that 1 s 
the Indian of it, and there’s but the one way 
to solve the puzzle.” 

Hunting through his pockets, which were 
beginning to dry after their saturation in the 
torrent, Palmer brought forth a nickel half 
dime, which he had carried for months as a 
pocket piece. 

“If head turns up,” said he, balancing it on 
his thumb and forefinger and looking down 
at his companion, ‘ ‘ we wheel to the right; if 
tail, we take the left.” 

“I’m agreed,” replied Hillson, putting up a 
silent prayer, as did the other, that Providence 
would decide it aright. 

The coin went fluttering aloft, and Hillson 
bent over as it dropped on the ground by 
Kitty’s left forefoot. 


THE TOSS OF A NICKEL. 155 

“ Head it is,” lie said, picking it up and re¬ 
turning it to tile owner; u follow your leader.” 

Hillson walked briskly along the right trail, 
hopeful that the choice had been the right one, 
but altogether too sensible to believe there 
was no liability of mistake. It was at his 
suggestion that Palmer descended from the 
saddle and took his place behind him on foot, 
where the prominence of the two was the 
same. 

Kitty, who seemed to know what all this 
meant, walked demurely behind her friends, 
who arranged to keep her quite near. She 
had proven her intelligent vigilance so fre¬ 
quently that great reliance was placed upon 
her. 

It is hardly in the power of the brainiest 
horse to detect the presence of a party of 
Indians in hiding some distance off, and whose 
training enables them to lie as motionless as 
if they were not breathing the breath of life, 
but the dumb brutes, as they are called, have 
performed more than one wonderful exploit 
in that line, and Kitty herself had a record of 
which any of her species might feel proud. 




CHAPTER XVIII. 

AT FORT ASSINABOINE. 

F OR three hundred yards the journey along 
the dimly marked trail was pushed in 
silence, the senses of the lieutenants seemingly 
concentrated into those of sight and hearing. 
There was not a spot on either hand where an 
Indian could not have remained in absolute 
hiding, while the officers walked in review 
before his levelled rifle without seeing their 
peril. Why, therefore, the Blackfeet should 
have gone through all this “ red tape” had 
no other explanation than that hinted by 
Lieutenant Palmer. 

Kitty was fully as alert, but the time soon 
came when their friends were satisfied that 
either there had been no danger at all, or they 
had successfully flanked it. 

“ More than likely we were mistaken,” said 
Hill son, suggesting that his friend should 
remount. 


156 


AT FORT ASSLNABOINE. 


157 


“We can believe so now, bnt could not 
a while ago ; I will walk a little farther; I 
have rested enough, and we may as well save 
the strength of the mare-■” 

At that very moment, when they felt more 
assured than at any time since setting out on 
their return, the crack of a rifle broke the still¬ 
ness on their left, and they heard the whistle 
of the bullet which passed between their 
faces. 

•‘Let’s run!” whispered Hillson, ducking 
and moving swiftly along the trail in momen¬ 
tary expectation of other shots. 

Looking around after running a brief way, 
he saw Kitty near him, as his ears had already 
told him she was, but Palmer was missing. 

“ Can it be?” he asked himself, straighten¬ 
ing up with a suspicion of the cause, and dis¬ 
covering the next moment that his suspicion 
was right. 

Palmer was so enraged by the unexpected 
shot that for the moment he forgot himself, 
and throwing his prudence to the winds, 
dashed through the undergrowth and around 
the rocks, revolver in hand. 


158 THE PATH IH THE KAVINE. 

‘‘Confound you!” lie exclaimed, “I’ll 
teach you that assassination don’t pay.” 

But the dusky miscreant had been quick to 
detect his peril, and while the smoke was curl¬ 
ing upward from the muzzle of his rifle, he 
made off. His pursuer caught only a glimpse 
of the figure as it vanished, but he let fly with 
every chamber of his weapon, his success 
being about the same as that which attended 
his effort to bring down the antelope. 

“It wasn’t a prudent thing to do,” he re¬ 
marked, as he rejoined Hillson, “but such 
treachery is unbearable.” 

“The Wild Cat did what we might have 
feared ; while he and most of his warriors lay 
in ambush along the other trail, he did not 
leave this entirely unguarded ; but I am sure 
we have seen the last of him.” 

“For the present; but if we continue our 
hunting excursions among the Bear Paw 
Mountains, we are sure to meet him again.” 

“ Do you propose to give up our sport on 
account of him f ” asked Hillson reproachfully, 
after they had gone some distance farther in 
the direction of the fort. 


AT FORT ASSINABOINE. 


159 


“Hardly; just as soon as we can get per¬ 
mission for another trip I am ready to try it 
again.” 

“And I am with you; we shall have to lie 
by several days for repairs ; I have a horse 
and gun to pay for, but there are others to be 
had, as well as Winchester rifles, and Kitty is 
always at your service.” 

The officers were in the situation of those 
who have received a challenge from a foe 
whom they despised. The Wild Cat had given 
them to understand that when they ventured 
upon a hunt in that wild region they did so at 
their peril. They were eager to take up the 
gage of battle, and were certain to do so on 
the first opportunity. 

But at present their task was to reach Fort 
Assinaboine with the least possible delay. A 
good many miles lay before them, and the way 
was rough and hard to travel, but they now 
knew where they were, and were not only in 
no danger of going astray, but were without 
fear of the Indians, with whom they had had 
more than one lively scrimmage, though fortu¬ 
nately without harm to either. 


160 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

The weather, which had been only moder¬ 
ately cold, became more severe. By the mid¬ 
dle of the afternoon the temperature had fallen 
fully ten degrees. Many were the congratula¬ 
tions they uttered because of the single blan¬ 
ket between them. Even with that, however, 
they suffered not a little, and no returning 
■wanderers were ever more pleased to reach a 
safe haven than they were that evening, when, 
at last, they found themselves within their 
comfortable quarters at Fort Assinaboine, 
where they received all necessary attention. 

Hillson and Palmer expected unpleasant 
consequences from their violent experience, 
and they were not fully themselves until a 
couple of days had passed. Nothing serious, 
however, resulted. They were young, strong, 
rugged, and with good habits, while they had 
already served an apprenticeship in campaign¬ 
ing in the Northwest, and were, therefore, 
capable of withstanding privations and suffer¬ 
ings before which many others would have 
succumbed. 

The lieutenants did not forget the resolution 
formed on their way home, after the meeting 


AT FORT ASSFNABOINE. 


161 


with the Wild Cat and his gang. These 
X>eople were defying the military authorities 
by their acts, and were liable to arrest for leav¬ 
ing the, reservation. The only obstacle to 
bringing them to book was the difficulty of 
laying hands upon them. It was known that 
the Wild Cat often appeared among the farm¬ 
ing Indians, and once or twice had the impu¬ 
dence to present himself at the fort with his 
claim for an annuity. 

Colonel Draper could have placed him under 
arrest at that time, but he desired irrefragable 
proofs of the serious crimes of which he stood 
accused. Though most of the other Blackfeet 
were obedient to the laws and showed com¬ 
mendable interest in their grazing and farming 
interests, they could not rid themselves of their 
kinship toward those of their race who chose 
to feel otherwise. The best of these men would 
screen a dusky horse thief or murderer who 
applied to them when hard pressed by the 
Indian police or the mounted white guards. 

While this was due, in many instances, to 
fear of the dusky desperadoes, it was more 
frequently inspired by sympathy for the red 
11 


162 THE P£TH IN THE RAVINE. 

men, whose tastes were those that had been 
born in them, and from which these Indians 
themselves were not entirely free. 

Colonel Draper, therefore, awaited the time 
when something could be fixed so clearly upon 
the Wild Cat that, when arrested and brought 
to trial, his conviction must follow. In the 
meantime he advised his friends to keep clear 
of that portion of the Bear Paw Mountains 
which he claimed as his stamping ground; 
but, all the same, when Lieutenants Hillson 
and Palmer respectfully asked permission to 
make another venture up the mountain trail, 
he cheerfully granted their request, and 
wished them God-speed and a safe return. 


CHAPTER XIX. 


THE MOUNTAIN TRAIL AGAIN. 

XD so it came about that precisely one 



XI week after the incidents we have de¬ 
scribed, Lieutenants Russell Hillson and 
Albert Palmer were riding up the mountain 
trail from which they had diverged before 
reaching the highest point, and suffered the 
misfortunes described because of that depart¬ 
ure from the straight path. 

The day was clear, crisp, cool, and sunshiny. 
They had spent so much time on the way that 
the sun was well down in the sky when they 
reached the spot where the narrow fissure 
opened on their left, apparently into and 
through the solid wall of the mountain. 

Hillson, it need not be said, was mounted 
on his favorite mare, Kitty, while Palmer had 
secured a horse fully the equal of that which 
was drowned by the flood. Each carried an 


164 


THE PATH IN THE KAVINE. 


excellent magazine rifle, and they were, there¬ 
fore, as fully equipped as they could be for 
whatever adventures were in store for them. 

The former trip had proven rather expen¬ 
sive, especially to Palmer, who was obliged to 
pay for the horse as well as his lost gun ; but 
that was one of the “casualties of war,” as he 
expressed it, and it did not lessen his anticipa¬ 
tions of the glorious enjoyment before him. 

Upon reaching the fissure they halted a 
minute or two to view it. 

“Some of that tremendous mass of water 
must have found its way through there,” re¬ 
marked Palmer, who was riding in advance ; 
“ though there are few signs of its having 
done so.” 

“ You mustn’t forget that a week has passed 
since then, and little evidence would be left; 
but you will recall that, for a considerable dis¬ 
tance after entering the opening, our course 
was descending. It may be, therefore, that 
we are considerably higher than the top of the 
torrent which gave ns such a hustling.” 

The matter, however, was of no moment, 
and they pushed on, the elder still at the head, 


THE MOUNTAIN TRAIL AGAIN. 165 

and on the watch for the unsafe places in the 
mountain trail which were liable to let them 
down into the vast ravine on their right, whose 
slope was like the roof of a house. 

“ Look! ” 

It was Palmer who uttered the exclamation, 
as he reined up, without turning his head. 

The sight was a striking one. Two hundred 
yards away the jutting path wound around 
a mass of solid rock, disappearing from view 
immediately beyond. Thus the ledge was the 
most prominent part of the vast, sloping 
mountain wall, and must have been visible 
from a great distance. 

Standing at the uppermost portion of the 
trail was a noble buck with huge spreading 
antlers. He had approached from the other 
direction at a leisurely gait, and was turning 
the bend when he observed the horsemen 
ascending the path toward him. 

The animal stopped short, threw up his 
head, with its magnificent spread of horns, so 
as to bring his fine figure in relief against the 
brilliant sky behind him. The situation of 
himself and hunters brought him almost in 


166 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

direct line with the orb of day, which, it may 
be said, was partly eclipsed by the gigantic 
form of the animal as it was interposed before 
its face. Indeed, it dazzled Palmer and Hill- 
son when they looked at him because of the 
overpowering glare. 

It took the buck but a few seconds to scent 
danger. Whether he had ever heard the crack 
of a hostile rifle or not, he knew those two 
horsemen could not be friends. Rearing on 
his hind feet, he whirled with astonishing 
grace and ease, his head, neck, and forefeet 
seemingly suspended over the abyss below as 
he turned to face the other way. 

It was a splendid chance for a shot, and 
Palmer’s Winchester was brought instantly to 
his shoulder, but the light partly blinded 
him and he knew his aim was poor; never¬ 
theless, seeing the game about to vanish, 
he let fly. 

To the surprise of both of the youths the 
buck made a wild leap fully ten feet to the 
right of the ledge, over which he went with 
a crash among the trees, undergrowth, and 
bowlders, disappearing from sight as if he were 


THE MOUNTAIN TRAIL AGAIN. 167 

a rock cast into the sea, above which the rush¬ 
ing waters instantly closed. 

“Well, if there ever was a chance shot that 
was one ! ” exclaimed Palmer. u I believe my 
eyes were shut when I fired, and I had no 
expectation of hitting him.” 

“And you didn’t hit him.” 

Palmer turned his head, as though uncertain 
of the meaning of the remark. 

“Do you intend to claim him % ” 

“ No, though I have as much right as you ; 
but at the moment you pulled trigger, or the 
fraction of a second before, I caught the report 
of another gun, and it was the bullet of that 
which slew the buck, sending him over to the 
ravine, where none besides the beasts of prey 
will ever find his body.” 

“ I did not notice the report, but you may 
be right; for, as I just said, if I slew him it 
was by accident. It follows that other hunters 
are ahead of us.” 

“ Doubtless there are plenty of them in the 
mountains, as we learned last week, and it may 
be we are in for another scrimmage with the 
Wild Cat and his gang.” 


168 


THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 


“ And we are fortunate enough to liave other 
weapons this time than Colt’s revolvers.” 

“ But the fellow fights like a wild animal, 
from cover, instead of standing up to his work 
like a man.” 

“We learned that long ago,” said Palmer, 
shrugging his shoulders as he resumed his 
ascent of the mountain path, Hillson follow¬ 
ing, with only a few paces between them. 
There was enough change in their course to 
enable them to look at the ledge without en¬ 
countering the blinding glare of the sun. They 
kept glancing thither, on the watch for the 
hunter that had so cleverly taken the game 
from their grasp. This portion of the path 
appeared to be firm, but they did not permit 
their interest in this stranger to lessen their 
caution. 

The shot from the other side of the project¬ 
ing ledge could not fail to cause the youths 
considerable uneasiness. As has been re¬ 
marked, the Indians ought to be peaceable 
wherever encountered on the reservation. In 
fact, as we have shown, many of the Crows 
and Blackfeet helped in the arrest of the 


THE MOUNTAIN TRAIL AGAIN. 169 

horse thieves of their own race, who now and 
then stole across the border line from the 
British possessions and raided upon the farmer 
Indians that are making such creditable ad¬ 
vances in civilization ; but there are always 
a number of red men who are untrustworthy 
and vicious, as is the case with their paleface 
brethren. Some of these are dissatisfied with 
their treaty stipulations and become “Dog 
Indians,” or vagrants, whose hands are against 
everyone, whenever there is any temptation 
presented to do evil. 

“Lieutenant,” called Hillson, just before 
reaching the turn in the mountain trail, “don’t 
hurry ; there’s no saying who may be lurking 
beyond waiting for the very chance you will 
give them if you ride straight forward.” 

Palmer checked his steed, and partly turning 
in his saddle, looked in the face of his friend, 
while they held a brief conversation. 

“ I have been thinking about that, but you 
will recall that the best plan, as both of us 
proved last week, is to bluff the Wild Cat, 
and not let him think that we hold him in any 
fear. When you met him alone you refused 


170 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

to give him half the path. Had you turned 
aside and allowed him to have it all, he would 
have shot you from your mare.” 

“ Possibly, though we cannot be certain of 
that.” 

“ I believe it was he who fired from the brush 
and then ran like a coward when I made for 
him with only my revolver, while he had a 
rifle.” 

4 4 Even if you are right about that,” said 
the younger officer significantly, r “ the fact 
remains that he fired the shot before he ran, 
and he may do so at this time.” 

“The fact also remains,” added Palmer, 
“that he didn’t hurt anybody by his marks¬ 
manship.” 

“ Which is no proof that he may not do so 
next time.” 

It was apparent that the elder was eag.er to 
meet the vagrant with whom he had had such 
stirring dealings the week before. Ilillson was 
hardly less desirous of a brush with him, but 
he appreciated the need of caution in every 
movement. 

“I will be careful,” finally remarked 


THE MOUNTAIN TRAIL AGAIN. 171 

Palmer, who straightway proceeded to violate 
the pledge by riding toward the turn of the 
mountain trail, as though not the shadow of 
danger impended. 

Hillson urged him to dismount and take a 
cautious, peep before trusting himself in full 
sight, but he thought that was showing a 
timidity which would react upon them. He 
kept Ilia horse, however, at the slowest possible 
walk, and leaned forward over his neck that 
he might be as quick as he in detecting what¬ 
ever lay beyond. 

“ I suspect our friend has concluded-” 

Lieutenant Palmer had uttered these words 
when Hillson saw him fling himself over the 
side of his horse, as if making a plunge after 
the stricken buck. The crack of a rifle ring¬ 
ing among the gorges at the same moment left 
no doubt of the cause of the desperate attempt 
of the young officer to save himself. 


CHAPTER XX. 


THE PRISONER. 


OR an instant Lieutenant Hillson believed 



-L his companion had been struck by the 
unexpected shot from beyond. His chivalrous 
nature led him to bound forward with the 
alarmed question: 

4 4 Are you hurt, Al?” 

44 No; I’m all right, but don’t let him get 
away; it was one of those Blackfeet that fired 
at me.” 

Hillson turned like a flash and glanced 
along the trail, which descended as rapidly 
beyond the curve as it did in the opposite 
direction. That which he saw angered him 
beyond expression, for nothing could have 
been more treacherous than the attempt 
against the life of his friend. 

Two Blackfoot warriors were skurrying 
down the path as fast as their sinewy legs 


THE PRISONER. 


173 


could carry them. Their long coarse hair 
streamed over their backs, and each was partly 
enveloped in an untidy blanket wrapped about 
his shoulders, and from beneath which his 
moccasons twinkled as he made all haste to 
get out of danger. 

The faces which they often turned to glance 
affrightedly behind them showed they were 
painted after the fashion so popular with the 
American race, and the young lieutenant was 
certain he recognized one of them. 

“Now, gentlemen,” he muttered, bringing 

his rifle to his shoulder, “it is my turn.” 

♦ 

The distance was considerable and increas¬ 
ing every moment, but Hillson was an excel¬ 
lent marksman, and was confident of bringing 
down his man. There was no means of know¬ 
ing who fired the cowardly shot, but both were 
equally guilty, and he selected the one in front 
on the theory that, after discharging his piece, 
he would naturally be the first to run. The 
distance between the fugitives was sufficient 
to permit him to fire over the head of the 
rear one. 

£t It was the Wild Cat,” said Palmer, hast- 


174 


THE PATH IN THE BA VINE. 


ily righting himself in the saddle ; “he is the 
one leading, and I hope you will make a better 
shot than he did.” 

It was the intention of Palmer to take a 
hand himself, blit at the moment Hillson’s eye 
was ranging along his Winchester, and he was 
sure the bead was true, behold! both Indians 
vanished as though they had never been. 

“Well, if that doesn’t beat the beaters!” 
exclaimed Hillson, lowering his weapon and 
staring with open mouth at the point where 
the warriors were visible but a moment before ; 
“ what’s become of them? Are we in a land 
of enchantment ? ” 

“Not a bit of it,” replied Palmer; “they 
are hiding behind the trail; give me room.” 

And what did the audacious young officer 
do but, like another “Old Put,” spur his 
horse down the trail on a dead run, straight at 
the point on which he kept his eyes fixed, 
with the determination of punishing the mis¬ 
creant that had attempted his life, and whom 
he knew to be one of the worst Indians in the 
Northwest! 

Hillson was but a second or two behind him. 



THE PRISONER. 


175 


He was not the one to hesitate when a comrade 
was in peril, and, swinging himself into the 
saddle, he spurred his mare to her best. Both 
animals had been in battle before, and they 
scented it from afar. 

No heed was now paid to the trail that had 
not been pressed by a hoof for a long time. 
Bits of rock and stone, displaced by the flying 
hoofs, rattled down the ravine at their side, 
and more than once the sure-footed animals 
seemed to be going over, but the reins lay 
loose on their necks, and, left to themselves, 
they did better than if their riders had tried 
to guide them. 

Palmer believed that the Indians, seeing the 
levelled rifles, had dropped on their faces and 
rolled among the dense undergrowth, where 
they could not be seen a dozen yards away. 
It was frightfully perilous thus to charge upon 
them, since they had only to lie still and pick 
off the youths as they came within range. 

But it is not impossible that the very impet¬ 
uosity of the rash averted this danger, for no 
shot was fired during the few seconds thus 
occupied, although the officers expected it. 


176 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

The speed of their horses was so great that 
they went several paces beyond the spot before 
they could be checked. 

The youths were on the ground in a twin¬ 
kling, and leaving the steeds to themselves, 
they leaped into the undergrowth. 

4 4 Hallo ! ” called Palmer ; 44 here is another 
trail; we are close upon them ! ” 

The pursuer forgot that he was no match for 
an American Indian on foot, especially among 
the vines, trees, and rocks, where he is as much 
at home as is the chamois among the Alpine 
heights. 

Hillson was as eager as his companion, for 
one of the miscreants had fired at his friend, 
and the two Indians were among the very 
worst of their race. Palmer, with his Win¬ 
chester firmly grasped in his right hand, sped 
down the path, which, like the main trail, 
rapidly descended, as though the one whom 
he was pursuing was only a few paces in 
advance. 

Hillson was not quite so forgetful as his 
friend. It occurred to him that if the Black- 
feet had darted from the main trail at this 


THE PRISONER. 


177 


point they were likely still to be near it. 
Instead, therefore, of rushing after his com¬ 
panion, he paused for a moment and glanced 
searchingly about him. 

Nothing met his eye, and he was on the 
point of following the other, when something 
moved in his field of vision. It resembled a 
short, thick stick, which appeared to fly up a 
few inches from behind a large rock. He 
caught only a glimpse of the object, but it was 
enough to reveal that, instead of what it 
seemed, it was the arm of an Indian, exposed 
for the instant, as if he were striving desper¬ 
ately to accomxfiisli something before he could 
be prevented. 

Suspecting its meaning, Hillson, with a 
couple of bounds, reached the other side of the 
rock, where he came upon the vagrant Black- 
foot known far and wide as the Wild Cat, 
who was making a fierce effort to reload his 
Sharpe’s or single-shot rifle, before the youth 
should disappear in the direction taken by his 
friend. 

The warrior was in a kneeling posture, and 
in the act of fixing a cartridge at the breech, 
12 


178 


THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 


when the young officer descended upon him. 
It was an act of amazing carelessness that led 
the Wild Cat to unmask himself in the manner 
described, and was explainable only on the 
ground of his furious haste, which caused him 
to forget himselt* for the instant. 

Even with Hillson within arm’s length, and 
holding him at his mercy, he persevered in the 
attempt to reload his piece, which would have 
been re-charged before, but for the haste which 
caused him to drop the cartridge. 

“ You scoundrel! ” exclaimed the lieutenant, 
drawing his revolver ; “drop that gun, or I’ll 
riddle you ! ” 

The Wild Cat continued his effort in a vague 
way, but the cartridge dropped a second time 
from his fingers, and, instead of picking it up, 
he turned his painted visage toward the youth 
and said : 

“Me no shoot—me friend of white man ! ” 

Under other circumstances the phenomenal 
effrontery of this proceeding would have 
brought a smile to the face of the officer, who 
could not treat the wretch as he deserved, 
since he was helpless, but had he continued his 


THE PRISONER. 


179 


attempt to reload his gun, Hillson would have 
executed his threat. Now, however, he was 
surprised to discover that the terrible warrior 
was too badly hurt to aid himself. Immedi¬ 
ately after uttering his words, he attempted to 
rise, but reeled backward, and had he not 
grasped a sapling, he would have sunk to the 
ground. 

It was not strange, perhaps, that on the 
discovery of his condition the emotions of 
Hillson underwent a revulsion, although he 
was filled with consuming wrath a moment 
before, and could hardly restrain himself from 
taking instant vengeance on the one that had 
come within a hair of slaying his best friend. 

Something akin to pity now stirred the lieu¬ 
tenant at sight of this grim warrior in his 
pitiful plight. No wound could be seen, and 
Hillson, after studying him a moment or two, 
concluded that in his haste to escape the 
levelled Winchester he had injured himself 
upon the rocks. If such were the fact he 
would speedily recover. 

Knowing the venomous nature of the Black- 
feet the lieutenant was not free from the 


180 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

suspicion that, after all, the Wild Cat was 
feigning a weakness with the purpose of 
throwing him oif his guard, but if so he failed 
in his design, for the officer did not remove 
his grasp from his revolver during the brief 
interval he was studying him. 

The result was the conviction that he had 
been injured in some unaccountable manner. 
Indeed, but for the extraordinarily tough char¬ 
acter of his race, it is likely he would have 
swooned when striving, with the help of the 
sapling, to stand erect. The youth believed 
he turned pale, but the paint on his counte¬ 
nance prevented any certainty on that point. 

Even in his pity Hillson did not forget his 
caution, for he had seen a supposed dead war¬ 
rior, when stretched upon the ground, make a 
lightning-like blow with his knife at the sur¬ 
geon bending over him, as a rattlesnake will 
strike when wounded unto death. 

“I’ll take your gun, if you please,” said 
the youth, setting his own against a tree, 
reaching his hand forward and grasping the 
rifle of the Blackfoot. The latter made no 
attempt to retain it, but loosening his fingers, 


THE PRISONER. 


181 


allowed it to pass into tlie hands of his 
master. 

The only other weapon visible was the hunt¬ 
ing knife, shoved behind the girdle at his 
waist. Hillson hesitated, but, knowing liis 
task would not be finished until he secured 
that, he deftly extracted it, without any pro¬ 
test on the part of the owner. 

It was singular, perhaps, bu^ at the instant 
the young officer’s hand closed about the 
buckhorn handle, the thought flashed upon 
him that the weapon had been used against 
many an innocent member of his own race. 
With a shudder, as if it were a serpent, he 
flung it twenty feet away through the wood. 



CHAPTER XXL 


THE SIGNAL. 


HUS Lieutenant Hillson had actually 



-1- made, prisoner of the notorious Indian 
known as the Wild Cat. This rogue took his 
place some years before on the reservation 
with the rest of his tribe, expressing his inten¬ 
tion of adopting the calling of a farmer for the 
rest of his life and becoming that rare per¬ 
sonage known as a “good Indian,” respect¬ 
ing whom some military authorities claim the 
last one perished long ago. 

The Wild Cat lived up to his profession for 
a few weeks, and then in a quarrel, brought 
about by himself, slew one of his people. He 
was arrested by the Indian police, but broke 
away and took to the mountains. Occasionally 
he ventured upon the settled portion of the 
reservation, and was engaged in other brawls, 



THE SIGNAL. 


183 


becoming known as one of the worst tempered 
and violent of liis race. 

We have shown that, whether on his own 
hunting grounds or the reservation, this out¬ 
law could always count on the active sympathy 
of his people. The most peaceful Blackfeet, 
who abhorred his crimes, used every effort to 
baffle the officers of justice in their attempts 
to place him beyond the power of doing further 
harm. Patient and well-disposed as were the 
authorities, it is not to be supposed that they 
would have put on mourning had they learned 
of his death at the hands of known or un¬ 
known parties. Had Hillson and Palmer re¬ 
turned to the fort with word that in an affray 
with the Wild Cat, they had found it neces¬ 
sary to despatch him, the chief executive 
would never have been petitioned to pardon 
them. 

But enough has been said to show the char¬ 
acter of the prisoner that had fallen into the 
hands of Lieutenant Hillson, who, realizing 
the importance of the capture, asked himself 
the question: “Now that I have caught 
him, what shall I do with him?” 


184 


THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 


The plan of taking him twenty miles and 
more to the fort could not be contemplated 
with pleasure, since he was too weak to walk, 
and if his captor waited until he recovered 
he was sure to take advantage of the many 
chances offered to escape before leaving 
the mountains. Hillson naturally disliked to 
share his horse with him, for such a compan¬ 
ionship was repellant in every sense. 

While these thoughts were passing through 
the brain of the youth, the prisoner himself 
was an interesting study. Hillson had formed 
a theory about his hurt which afterward proved 
to be correct. The Blackfoot, in his desperate 
hurry to avoid the bullet that was on the point 
of being fired at him, flung himself with such 
violence to the earth that he struck a bowlder 
with sufficient force to knock him almost 
senseless. It was a singular accident to befall 
such a veteran mischief-maker, but when he 
rolled among the undergrowth and behind the 
rock, it was with an instinctive rather than a 
reasoning impulse, and his senses left him 
altogether at the moment of finding the refuge. 

Chivalry would have required his companion 


TIIE SIGNAL. 


185 


to remain with liim and give what help he 
could in his extremity ; but chivalry is not so 
common among the American Indians as some 
people suppose. His associate cast a single 
glance at him, and then concluded that his 
best course was to look after his own safety. 
Instead of taking refuge near and firing at 
the horseman the instant he came within fair 
range, he fled with all speed down the faintly 
marked path, whither the impetuous Palmer 
followed with headlong haste. 

The shock received by the Blackfoot was of 
that nature that he quickly recovered, and, 
brief as was the interval occupied by the 
young officers in their charge, he rallied suffi¬ 
ciently to comprehend his peril, and, striving 
hard to reload his gun, was detected, as we 
have shown, in the act. 

The outlay of strength overcame him, and 
the red man was nearer swooning outright than 
ever before. Only by the supreme exercise 
of his strong will did he succeed in keeping 
his feet, with the help of the sapling at his 
side. 

Hillson was sufficiently skilled in reading the 


186 


THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 


symptoms which he sought to hide to observe 
that the redoubtable warrior was rapidly be¬ 
coming himself again. That being evident, he 
was sure to be equally quick in regaining his 
natural viciousness. The youth had possession 
of his gun, and, slipping his revolver in place, 
he held one rifle in either hand, the knife hav¬ 
ing been eliminated from the problem. 

“ Wild Cat,” said he, “you are at my 
mercy, but the white man does not make war 
like the dog of a Blackfoot; I will not hurt 
you if you do as I tell you.” 

“Wild Cat can’t walk,” was the reply, as 
the warrior still clung to the sapling and 
looked at the lieutenant with an expression 
that would have touched his heart had he not 
suspected its sincerity. 

At this juncture, Hillson, to his delight, 
caught a familiar signal. It was a clear, sharp 
whistle, such as he knew was made by his 
brother officer, who meant it as a call for him 
to join him at once. 

“ I wonder whether he, too, has an elephant 
on his hands,” was the thought of his friend, 
who noticed that the summons came from a 


TIIE SIGNAL. 187 

point considerably removed ; “if lie has, we 
must manage to pool our issues.” 

Turning to liis prisoner, who must have 
noticed the signal, he added : 

“ Wild Cat, walk ahead of me in this path ; 
you are strong enough to do that, and you 
can’t deceive me. I will follow you, and if you 
do as you are told, you won’t be harmed, but 
if you attempt to dodge among the trees or call 
to your friends, I will fire upon you at once.” 

The warrior looked keenly at him, as if 
debating some plan for misleading him ; but 
the handsome face of the officer could be stern 
when necessary, and, as the best and only 
course left to the Wild Cat, he began moving 
along the trail, but did so with great slowness, 
as if suffering pain. 

Possibly such was the fact, but the occasion 
was one for harshness ; and stepping from the 
path, so as to place the warrior in front, he 
allowed him to hear the click of the hammer 
on his rifle as he raised it. 

“It all depends on you ,” said he ; “walk 
along the path and don’t look around, but if 
you don’t-” 


188 


THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 


The break in the sentence was as expressive 
as any words could have been, and the Wild 
Cat asked no further explanations. 

It was an extraordinary sight, this veteran 
Blackfoot warrior, wearing the scars of many 
a fearful hand-to-hand encounter, plodding 
sullenly, but submissively, in front of the 
youth, who kept only a few paces to the rear, 
with his senses on the alert, and half convinced 
that he would have to carry out his threat 
of summary punishment before advancing a 
hundred feet. 

Hillson would have signalled to Palmer to 
join him but for the suspicion that he was in¬ 
volved in some difficulty with his own particu¬ 
lar Blackfoot, which rendered it out of his 
power to respond. Despite the lieutenant’s 
misgivings, however, the Wild Cat maintained 
his deliberate progress for nearly fifty yards 
without any change of gait or apparent pur¬ 
pose of rebelling against his strange captivity. 
But, before long, Hillson became aware of a 
disquieting fact. 

A faint call, seemingly made by some bird, 
sounded through the wood, but it was so 


THE SIGNAL. 


189 


nearly inaudible that had he not been listening 
intently, he would not have noticed it. Even 
as it was, it is doubtful whether it would have 
disturbed him, had lie not observed a slight 
movement of the Wild Cat’s head. It was 
just the least possible flitting to one side, 
which gave a brief glimpse of the profile. 
There was no change in his pace, nor any evi¬ 
dence that he had noticed the soft, tremulous 
call, other than the one described, and even 
that seemed to be due to a momentary forget¬ 
fulness that could not occur again. 

“It is a signal from the other Blackfoot,” 
was the conclusion of Hillson ; “he must have 
eluded Palmer, and is stealing back to help 
this one. Well, that makes two of them, and 
I have a couple of guns, even if one is un¬ 
loaded, but I am afraid they will prove more 
than I can handle- Ah ! ” 

To his surprise he caught precisely the same 
signal again ; but, instead of coming from the 
point where first heard, it was to the right, 
and, more significant still, much closer than 
before. 

The Wild Cat moved like a feeble old man, 


190 


THE PATH IN TOE RAVINE. 


not turning liis head in either direction. He 
could not have failed to hear the second 
sound, but nothing in his demeanor indicated 
the fact. 

“This contract is growing faster than is 
agreeable,” thought the lieutenant, “but I 

can’t back out now- There it goes again! ” 

he added, as the bird-like call sounded so near 
that he knew the Indian who emitted it would 
be in sight the next moment. 







CHAPTER XXII. 


THE CABIN. 


"EUTENANT HILLSON was in a most 



JL J peculiar situation. The dusky rogue 
known as the Wild Cat was walking slowly,' 
as if in pain, a few paces in front, while some¬ 
where near at hand were hovering one or more 
warriors awaiting the chance to strike a blow 
for the leader. 

The second signal showed that the stranger 
was but a short distance to the right, and the 
officer was certain he would reveal himself the 
next minute. His advent upon the scene 
promised to turn the tables completely, for it 
will be perceived that every advantage was on 
his side. It was another example of the hunter 
who, while hunting the tiger, finds the tiger 
hunting him. 

Hillson had his loaded Winchester in his 
right hand, and the Blackfoot’s unloaded 


191 


192 THE PATH IN THE KAVINE. 

weapon in his left. Carrying a revolver also, 
it will be conceded that lie was well supplied 
with the means of defence, but the gun of the 
Wild Cat was such an impediment that, could 
he have been sure that the second warrior 
lurking near would not see him, he would have 
flung the weapon away. 

The Indian acted for a moment as though he 
had not heard the second call of his ally, which 
so disturbed the lieutenant, and the latter was 
left the duty of watching not only him but the 
other, who was liable at any moment to send a 
stealthy shot from cover. 

It was this close scrutiny of the Wild Cat 
that enabled Hillson to observe that he was 
walking slower than before. His step, too, 
was uncertain, as if overtaken once more by 
the weakness that came so near mastering him. 

“ That is all pretence,” was the rightful con¬ 
clusion of his captor ; “ he is about to attempt 
some trick. None of that! ” he called to him ; 
11 1 know what you are driving at.” 

The Blackfoot stopped, and, turning half¬ 
way round, deliberately stared at the youth, 
as if studying the expression of his counte- 


THE CABIN. 


193 


nance. Then, to the amazement of the latter, 
he coolly replied to the whistle that had so 
alarmed Hillson a minute before. 

It was a daring proceeding on the part of the 
Wild Cat, and looked as if he meant openly to 
defy his captor, who was angered almost to 
the extent of shooting him, thereby not only 
ridding the country of a pest, but reducing the 
number of his enemies demanding immediate 
attention to unity. Instead of doing so, how¬ 
ever, he resorted to a shrewder artifice that 
would have done credit to a veteran frontiers¬ 
man. 

44 Wild Cat,” said he, 44 signal again to your 
friend, and tell him that if he makes the first 
move against me, I will shoot you! He may 
bring me down, but not before I can send a 
bullet through you, and Pit do it /” 

The officer uttered these words in a loud 
voice, intending they should reach the ear of 
the second Indian, for whom they were spe¬ 
cially meant. Perhaps the latter did not 
understand the English language, and it was 
well to employ an interpreter. 

The lieutenant hardly expected to be obeyed 
13 


194 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

as promptly as lie was, but the Wild Cat 
instantly emitted a tremulous whistle, so dif¬ 
ferent from his previous one that it was evi¬ 
dent it conveyed another meaning altogether. 
Whether this was of the precise character 
Hillson had in mind, and whether such a mes¬ 
sage could be transmitted by that means, may 
well be doubted, but it must have been quite 
easy to warn his associate against any attempt 
to harm the white man. 

This was bringing speculation down to a fine 
point, and Hillson had no time nor disposition 
to follow the train of thought suggested by 
the action of the Blackfoot. He was in con¬ 
stant fear of the aj>pearance of the one that 
had first given the signal, with a complication 
that must increase his own danger to an alarm¬ 
ing degree. 

It was awkward to carry two rifles, one of 
which was pointed at the target in front, but 
he managed to do so, determined that there 
should be no mistake as to his earnestness. 
The Wild Cat walked with the same sullen 
deliberation as before, while the youth devoted 
his energies to the task of keeping him under 


THE CABIN. 195 

his eye, and maintaining a lookout for the 
other. 

Skilful and daring as was Lieutenant Hill- 
son, it was beyond his power to hold his ad¬ 
vantage for more than a few minutes longer, 
without receiving aid from some quarter. His 
threat probably frightened the Wild Cat into 
uttering a warning signal to his friend, but the 
latter would have been quick to see how easy it 
was for him to fire a shot so instantly fatal 
that the leader would be in no danger at all. 

It was at this critical juncture that Hill son, 
looking at his prisoner, observed something 
moving just beyond him. Before he was quite 
sure of its meaning, the warrior stopped, threw 
up both arms and called : 

“ Huh ! huh ! no shoot! ”■ 

There was good cause for the cry, for the 
figure in front of him was Lieutenant Palmer, 
who, catching sight of the savage, instantly 
brought his rifle to his shoulder with the in¬ 
tention of firing. 

But the path just there was perfectly straight, 
and when he pointed his gun at the Blackfoot 
he descried his friend, so exactly in range 


196 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

that a shot at one was likely to endanger the 
other. 

“ Don’t fire,” called Hillson in turn, “he is 
a prisoner of war.” 

Palmer lowered his weapon and stared en¬ 
quiringly at the Indian, who still hesitated to 
advance. 

“That’s the head scoundrel,” remarked the 
first lieutenant; “it was he who gave me that 
snap shot, but what do you mean to do with 
him ?” 

“ I want your help to decide.” 

“ There’s a cabin right behind me, which we 
can use for a prison until we make arrange¬ 
ments to dispose of him.” 

This was interesting news to Hillson, who 
ordered the Wild Cat to resume his advance. 
The officer followed only a few paces, when 
he observed a small natural clearing in 
which stood a heavily built cabin, one story in 
height and perhaps twenty feet square. The 
single door affording ingress and egress was 
open, and a large, well-favored man stood just 
outside calmly contemplating the curious pro¬ 
ceedings. 


THE CABIN. 


197 


The Wild Cat stopped, and since the indi¬ 
vidual was a stranger to Hillson, he hesitated 
whether to repeat his order. Suspecting his 
embarrassment the man called out: 

“Send him right along; the door is open 
for him.”. 

The Blackfoot must have realized at this 
moment the great error he made in warning 
his ally to remain in the background, for, had 
he been on hand to use the opportunity pre¬ 
sented in the slight confusion that lasted for a 
second or two, the prisoner could have dodged 
among the trees and been off like a shot. 

But it was too late now, and, hiding the 
exasperation and chagrin that must have 
gnawed at his heart, he strode through the 
open door with a certain dignity, and entered 
the cabin. 

“Now let us do the same,” said the first 
lieutenant, “for there are more of them in the 
neighborhood.” 

He knew nothing of the warrior who, after 
approaching within striking distance, had 
withdrawn at the command of his master, or 
he might have shown greater hurry. Hillson 


198 THE PATH IN THE EAYINE. 

believed lie would be heard from, and he 
nervously followed his friend within the struct¬ 
ure, the host stepping quickly after them and 
instantly closing and securing the door. 

The astonishment of the visitors was in¬ 
creased by a glance at their surroundings. 
The cabin, as we have stated, was about twenty 
feet square and a single story in height, but 
one half of the apartment was covered by a 
broad shelf or planking, between which and 
the eaves was a foot’s space and with three 
times that extent in the middle. The ends of 
a number of buffalo, bear, and beaver robes 
showed that this portion was devoted to sleep¬ 
ing purposes, it being reached by several cross 
pieces nailed against one side of the cabin, 
almost directly beneath. 

The floor was made of well-fitted logs, 
roughly dressed, and worn smooth by much 
tramping of feet. There was a small stand or 
table, several stools, a short, low bench, and a 
fireplace with a lot of wood piled near it, as if 
in readiness for use, though there was none 
burning on the hearth. The fireplace was of 
the most primitive pattern, built of stone and 


THE CABIN. 


199 


set even with the wall, the prime object sought 
evidently being strength and security. 

The door was massive, and when closed and 
secured was almost as strong as any part of the 
structure. On the side opposite were two nar¬ 
row, window-like openings for the admission of 
light. They lacked panes, but could be closed 
by pieces of planking when danger threatened, 
their straitness being such that a child could 
not have been forced through either of them. 

The occupant of this cabin was Hadley 
Rainsford, a man of powerful physique, a 
little past middle life, with grizzled beard and 
hair, bright blue eyes, strong features, and pre¬ 
possessing manner. He was attired like a 
professional sportsman, and encountered any¬ 
where would have attracted favorable atten¬ 
tion. His rifle was of the latest pattern, and 
it was evident that, although following this 
singular hermit life, he was an individual of 
intelligence and culture. 

“ Well, here we are ! ” he said, in his cheery 
way, after glancing about the room, “ and if 
you will keep out of range of those windows, 
we may dismiss all thoughts of troublesome 


200 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

neighbors for tlie present. I think when sup¬ 
per-time comes we can scare up something 
digestible. I don’t know,” he added, glancing 
quizzically from one to the other, “ whether it 
is a safe proceeding, lieutenants, for me to 
receive a couple of United States officers into 
my house when I am an intruder myself.” 

“We are here unofficially,” said Palmer, 
with a laugh, “ and having accepted your hos¬ 
pitality, we cannot violate it.” 

“ The crime is not a heinous one, anyway, 
and I would be glad to have you make me a 
visit, if we only knew what to do with this 
precious fellow.” 

He looked at the Wild Cat as he spoke. 
The white men had seated themselves, but the 
warrior stood on the side of the room furthest 
from the door. His arms were folded, a scowl 
upon his forbidding features, and his black, 
serpent-like eyes seemed to be staring at the 
solid logs before him, as if seeking to pierce 
them and peer among the trees beyond. He 
did not speak nor seem to notice the words of 
his captors, though it is safe to believe that 
none of their words were lost upon him. 


CHAPTER XXIII. 


A YOUNG HOSTESS. 



ATURE has given the red man a repel- 


A-' lent countenance, with his large nose, 
high cheek-bones, and retreating chin. His 
face was made doubly repulsive by fantastic 
daubs of crimson, black, and white paint 
spread over forehead, nose, cheek, and chin. 
His long black hair, instead of being gathered 
in the defiant scalp-lock, dangled about his 
shoulders, the coarse strands showing that 
they, too, had received their share of paint, of 
which the American race is so fond. 

“ What did you do with your Indian?’’ 
asked Hillson, turning with a smile toward 
his friend. 

“ I didn’t get a chance to do anything with 
him ; I found he could beat me running with¬ 
out half trying, and there wasn’t much hope 
of tiring him^out, as he had the better wind. 


202 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

The longer that sort of race continued the bet¬ 
ter it was for him. When I caught sight of 
this house I concluded to let up on my fugi¬ 
tive and make a few investigations on my own 
account. Mr. Rainsford had heard the guns 
and was in his door wondering what it meant, 
when I loomed up in his field of vision.’’ 

“Not precisely in the dignified style of 
which the West Pointer is so fond,” said the 
gentleman, in his pleasant way, “for at the 
moment I saw you, your foot caught in an ob¬ 
struction, and you had hard work to save your¬ 
self going forward on your hands and knees.” 

“So I did; and when you told me the In¬ 
dian I was after hadn’t passed in sight of the 
cabin, I saw I was throwing away time and 
labor. Then I signalled for the lieutenant, 
and, thinking he might need my services, set 
out to see what I could do for him.” 

“Well,” said Mr. Rainsford, “you have 
captured the worst Indian in Montana, and 
one who I do not believe ever felt a spark of 
gratitude or honor.” 

The youths looked wonderingly at the gen¬ 
tleman who spoke with such emphasis. A 


A YOUNG HOSTESS. 


203 


glance at the Blackfoot showed that he had 
shifted his position so as to permit him to 
lean one shoulder against the side of the struct¬ 
ure, his weight resting mainly on one leg, 
while the toe of the other foot, swung around 
in front of the rigid limb, was supported on 
the floor of the cabin. 

“ You speak pointedly, ” said Hillson. 

“ And I have the right to do so ; ten years 
ago Morris Hitchman and I spent a part of the 
summer building this cabin. The reservation 
was not fairly established, though we knew it 
was coming. The Wild Cat claimed to be a 
good Indian, and we anticipated no trouble 
from him, though the accounts we received 
from hunters and trappers gave us some un¬ 
easiness. We had hard work to get this 
structure finished, and it was hardly done 
when he and his gang came down on us like 
a thunderbolt, and we stood a siege of three 
days and nights. 

“We stayed here all that winter, and ex¬ 
changed a good many shots with him and his 
party. Do you see that scar ? ” abruptly asked 
the gentleman, removing his cap and display- 


204 


THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 


ing a cicatrice on liis forehead, plainly observed 
by both his visitors. 

“He gave it to me,” added Mr. Rainsford, 
with a jerk of his thumb toward the Wild Cat, 
“and about that time I winged him. Hitch- 
man and I secured a good many peltries, and 
were preparing to start homeward with them 
when down came the old fellow again with his 
party. They cut off our retreat to the house, 
and we kept up a running tight for two hours 
along the mountain trail. We had to abandon 
our whole winter’s catch, and more than once 
I believed, in the language of the hunters of 
the olden time, that our last sickness had over¬ 
taken us. So it proved indeed with Hitcliman, 
for at the very point where Lieutenant Palmer 
tells me he came so near being shot off his 
horse, my friend went down, killed so quickly 
that he hadn’t time to bid me good-by. I was 
wounded myself, but, as night was at hand, 
managed to hide among the wood and under¬ 
growth until I got a chance to creep out. I 
wandered about for several days, more dead 
than alive, when I came upon a party of trap¬ 
pers, who proved good Samaritans to me.” 



A YOUNG HOSTESS. 


205 


“I should think that would have wearied 
you of the Bear Paw Mountains,” remarked 
Palmer. 

“ So it would, but for what happened after¬ 
ward. I married one of the best women that 
ever lived. A year later Heaven sent us sweet 
little Bessie. It seemed as if my earthly hap¬ 
piness was too great to last. But the mother 
died, and I was crushed with sorrow. The 
only hope, as it appeared to me, of partially 
forgetting it was by plunging into these moun¬ 
tains, where nothing could remind me of my 
affliction. I see now that it was an unwise 
thing to do, but I came here a couple of years 
ago! and have not been out of the country 
since. There is such an abundance of game 
that it is easy to support life, and from the 
few hunters that know of my presence here, 
I can get my ammunition and other necessaries 
in exchange for the peltries which I gather 
during cold weather.” 

“ Did you bring your little daughter with 
you ?” asked Lieutenant Hillson. 

“ She was six years old at the time, and has 
been with me ever since.” 


206 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

“But we have seen nothing of her.” 

“Hallo, Bessie! where are you?” called 
Mr. Rainsford. 

A rustling was heard among the robes over¬ 
head, and to the unbounded amazement of the 
visitors a little girl about eight years old came 
down the steps, dropping lightly upon the floor. 
Smiling and blushing she ran forward, sprang 
upon her father’s knee, received an embrace 
and kiss, and then, looking at the young 
officers, said : 

“I’ve been watching you upstairs ever since 
you come in.” 

“Now isn’t that odd?” replied Hillson. 
“ I have a little sister at home named Bessie, 
and she is about your age, and I think she 
looks almost as sweet as you. Anyway, I 
want to tell her all about little Bessie Rains- 
ford that I visited away up in the Bear Paw 
Mountains. I hope, too, I shall be able to tell 
her that I held her on my knee, and that she 
gave me a kiss just as she did her father.” 

He extended his arms, and Bessie, with a 
little natural timidity, walked to him and was 
lifted upon his knee, and at once became a 


A YOUNG HOSTESS. 


207 


warm friend of the handsome young officer. 
He knew how to entertain a child like her, but 
Palmer complained that he was slighted, insist¬ 
ing that, though he liadn’t a sister Bessie, he 
deserved one, and he was always fond of good 
little girls. 

It was a strange experience of the two in 
coming upon this dainty bit of humanity in 
one of the wildest regions of our country. 
Bessie was unusually bright, for it was evident 
that her doting father gave much time to her 
care and instruction. She was educated be¬ 
yond her years, but retained the infantile ways 
so winning in one of her age. 

Her dress was neat, and little bits of bright 
ribbon here and there added to the pleasing 
appearance of her costume. Her luxuriant 
golden hair, hanging below her shoulders, 
was gathered with a blue ribbon at the back, 
while her rosy complexion, clear eyes, and 
elasticity of frame betokened the highest pos¬ 
sible degree of health. 

But charmed as were the visitors with her 
sweet face and ways, they were disturbed to 
know she was buried in the wilderness, and 


208 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

not only deprived of association with, those of 
her own sex and age, but saw so few of the 
necessities of civilization. Her parent had no 
right, even in the depth of his affliction, to 
doom her to such a life. 

“I know what is in your thoughts,” said 
Mr. Rainsford; “I have done wrong, and 
shall make amends; my arrangements were 
completed to-day to leave this place forever, 
and unless prevented, we shall start to-morrow 
morning by sun-up.” 

“I am glad to hear you say that,” said 
Hillson, uttering the sentiments of his friend, 
“and I hope nothing will occur to prevent 
your departure.” 

It may seem singular that this conversation 
should take place on the heels of the stirring 
incidents recorded, and when there was reason 
to believe more than one hostile Indian was 
hovering on the outside, eager to give their 
leader all the help possible. But there were 
breaks in the sentences, and Mr. Rainsford 
was ever on the alert, as were his companions. 
The gentleman, however, gave more attention 
to the prisoner than did they, and it was this 


A YOUNG HOSTESS. 


209 


fact which caused him to make a sign to them 
to refrain from looking at the Wild Cat, who, 
there could be no doubt, was up to some 
mischief. 

He had turned his head, so that, instead of 
gazing at the blank wall, he was able to glance 
sideways through one of the narrow windows 
on his right, and Mr. Rainsford was not mis¬ 
taken in believing the glittering eyes were 
turned in that direction. 

Furthermore, this steady scrutiny was not 
aimless on the part of the prisoner. He was 
holding stealthy communication with parties 
on the outside, though it was done with a 
subtlety and skill that might have deceived 
the eye of suspicion itself. 

Beyond question between these red men, 
separated by the wall of the cabin, a plan for 
the rescue of the Wild Cat was rapidly crys¬ 
tallizing, and an explosion was nearer at hand 
than even the vigilant Mr. Rainsford suspected. 


14 



CHAPTER XXIV. 


THE STRENGTH OF WEAKNESS. 

HE better to carry out the request of Mr. 



-L Rainsford, the two officers continued 
their conversation with him, he answering and 
speaking as though feeling no interest in the 
Blackfoot, who was leaning against the side of 
the structure, and holding secret communica¬ 
tion with parties outside. The warrior acted 
his part with rare skill, as did the single indi¬ 
vidual or more without, since not the slightest 
sound indicated what was going on. 

Now, while no one of the three cared 
enough for the feelings of the dusky prisoner 
to restrain the expression of his opinion of 
him in language which could not be misunder¬ 
stood, it was desirable that some things should 
be kept from him. 

“Habla v. espahol?” (Do you speak Span- 


210 


THE STRENGTH OF. WEAKNESS. 211 

ish ?) asked Mr. Rainsford, turning toward his 
visitors. 

“Si, lo aprendimos a West Point” (Yes, 
we learned that at West Point), was the 
prompt reply of Hillson, and from thenceforth 
for a time the conversation continued in Span¬ 
ish, which it was safe to conclude was an 
unknown tongue to all Northern Indians. 

“ Had your call been deferred a single day,” 
said Mr. Rainsford, “you would not have 
found me and Bessie here.” 

“Then we are glad it took place wflien it 
did,” replied Palmer, “though it might have 
been better for you had you been absent, for 
we know enough of the Wild Cat to see you 
are in danger as long as you are in this place.” 

“ Yes,” was the quiet reply, “he isincorrig* 
ible, and I have been thinking since you made 
him captive what course should be taken with 
him. He deserves death half a dozen times 
over, but that w r ill not warrant us in inflicting 
it, and I do not see how you can take him back 
to the post with you.” 

“I brought him here alone,” said Hillson, 
“ and it would seem that Palmer and I ought 


212 THE PATH IN THE EAYINE. 

to be able to drive bim in front of ns over the 
trail to the fort, or, since the journey is con¬ 
siderable, we could take him on one of our 
horses.” 

“That would be feasible if the other Black- 
feet did not interfere ; but you know how 
ready the friendly Indians are to shield the 
most guilty of their race. You would be sure 
to meet trouble by adopting either course. ” 

“What did you mean by referring to his 
‘gang’? ” 

“ He has gathered a half dozen vagrants about 
him as treacherous as himself ; they will seize 
any opportunity to pick off a hunter in the 
mountains, as no doubt they have done many 
a time. I was hopeful, on my last return, 
that I would find him farming, but, as usual, 
he welcomed me with a rifle shot.” 

“It is unaccountable to me,” said Palmer, 
“ that you expose your child to such great peril, 
and that, having done so, you have escaped so 
long.” 

“ I confess that I ought to have left the hour 
I learned our danger, but I was hopeful that 
the Wild Cat and his men would be won over 


THE STRENGTH OF WEAKNESS. 213 

at least to neutrality by fair treatment. I 
once did a good turn for a Crow warrior, and 
he lias been my friend ever since. I tried it 
with this rogue, and the mistake was well-nigh 
fatal. It is only recently that I reached the 
decision that he is so bad that all efforts are 
thrown away on him. When the conviction 
came I resolved to leave this spot forever.” 
u What are your means for doing so ? ” 

“I brought an excellent horse, and he is 
turned loose in a valley less than a fourth of a 
mile away. I take a look at him every day or 
two, and occasionally enjoy a little spin on his 
back. If I can bring him to the mountain 
trail, knowing none of the Wild Cat’s gang is 
in front of me, I shall have no fear of harm to 
me and mine, for he is as fleet-footed as the 
wind.” 

“We know that the Indian’s weakness, 
like that of many white men, is horse-flesh,” 
observed Palmer, “and I wonder that your 
animal was not stolen long ago.” 

“There has been risk from the first, as a 
matter of course, but you must not suppose 
that the Wild Cat and his fellows lie awake 


214 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

nights planning schemes for my harm. They 
have other mischief on hand, and have let me 
alone for higher game.” 

“ Why not propose that we will let him go 
if he and his men will molest us no further % ” 
asked Hill son. 

“ He would accept it at once, and then seize 
the first chance to break his pledge ; he can’t 
be trusted to the least extent.” 

“Doubtless you are right; but why not 
hold him as a hostage % ” 

“That is the only scheme that promises 
anything, but I see no way of carrying it out. 
There must come a point when the honor of 
the Indian will have to be trusted, and at that 
moment the break will take place.” 

“Suppose we make no conditions, but 
release him offhand, will he and the rest lie in 
wait for us, or will they besiege the cabin in 
the hope of securing us all % ” 

“My belief is that they will slay us all, if 
the way opens for doing so. You put an 
unpardonable indignity on him by making 
him a prisoner when he was temporarily dis¬ 
abled, and he suspects I mean to leave with 


THE STRENGTH OF WEAKNESS. 215 

my little girl, so lie would bend all bis efforts 
to capture the cabin. If he succeeds none will 
be left to accuse him, and the colonel at the 
fort can never learn who is responsible for the 
taking off of his two fine young lieutenants.” 

“Then, Hillson and I should watch for the 
chance to steal away and make haste to the 
fort for the help that the colonel will be only 
too eager to send.” 

“Do that, and the solution is found; 
but-” 

Some minutes before this little Bessie Bains- 
ford, who had consented to perch herself again 
on the knee of Lieutenant Hillson, noticed 
that her friends were using words that were 
unintelligible to her. She looked enquiringly 
from face to face, and hearing nothing to 
interest her, fixed her gaze on the prisoner, 
who was leaning against the wall, near one of 
the narrow windows, seemingly paying no 
attention to anything. 

She had seen so many of his people that she 
felt little fear of them. She was like the 
fawn, which unhesitatingly trots up to the 
hunter with no thought that it is approaching 


216 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

its deadliest enemy. Sliding off the knee of 
the officer, she picked up one of the stools and 
walked to where the Wild Cat stood, setting 
it down so near him that the edge touched the 
fringe of his leggings. Then, placing her hand 
on one of his forearms, she said : 

“You must be tired ; sit down.” 

The Blackfoot turned his head like a flash. 
His attention was directed so intently else¬ 
where that his first thought was that he had 
been detected. It was a striking proof of the 
subtlety of the American Indian, that whoever 
was on the outside became aware on the instant 
of the interruption. Had any of the white 
men within peeped through the opening at 
that moment, he would have discovered nothing 
to explain the telegraphy that was going on an 
instant before. 

The Wild Cat glanced down at the little girl, 
whose hand rested on his arm, the two being 
still folded, and shook his head. 

“Wild Cat no sit down.” 

This was a decisive declension for a warrior, 
but it did not satisfy the young lady. She 
insinuated her chubby fingers between the outer 


THE STRENGTH OF WEAKNESS. 217 

forearm and the wrist of the other with such 
deftness that, ere he was aware, she had 
broken the lock, as it may be called, and the 
limbs dropped to his sides. He was about to 
refold them, when she closed her fingers about 
his wrist and said : 

“ I want you to sit down, ’cause, if you aint 
tired, you will be very soon.” 

The appeal was accompanied by such a smart 
backward pull of the Indian’s arm that he 
was forced to make an undignified movement 
to save himself from sitting down on the stool. 
It must have angered him, and more than 
likely he would have struck the innocent 
cause, but for the presence of her friends, who 
shifted their seats in order to watch the curi¬ 
ous proceedings. 

Still holding his wrist, Bessie added : 

“ You must sit down.” 


CHAPTER XXV. 

THROUGH THE LINES. 

ERHAPS the Wild Cat saw that the 



JL easiest course was to comply with the 
orders of the little empress, for, with an odd 
grin on his painted features, he seated himself 
on the stool and looked at the child that had 
compelled him to obey her. 

The others smiled, but even the father was 
not prepared for what followed. The Wild Cat 
allowed his arms to hang at his side for a 
second or two, as if in doubt what to do with 
them. Before he could decide, Bessie climbed 
upon his knee, and, with the confiding faith of 
childhood, gazed up in the repellent counte¬ 
nance and straight into the serpent-like eyes 
without a tremor of misgiving. 

“ Have you a little girl like me ? ” 

The American Indian justly bears the repu- 


218 


The Lion and the Lamb. 



















THROUGH THE LINES. 


219 


tation of a stoic so far as all outward expres¬ 
sion of liis emotions goes ; but it is safe to say 
that if ever one of them was completely floored 
it was this Blackfoot when the golden-liaired 
Bessie, sitting on his knee, asked her question. 
He looked down in her blue eyes, but his 
dusky lips remained closed. Far be it from us 
to speculate upon the feelings that stirred 
the depths of that heart, but he was a human 
being like ourselves. Though the river may 
be frozen deep, yet far below the solid shield 
the crystal water flows, and the ice itself 
must yield in time to the rays of sunlight 
that fall upon it. 

“ Have you a little girl like me?” repeated 
Bessie, seeing that he hesitated, as though he 
did not understand her question. 

“ Wild Cat liab young warrior—hab girl, 
too,’ ’ came the reply in tones which Lieu¬ 
tenant Hillson will always insist showed a 
perceptible tremor. 

“ So you’ve got a little girl,” repeated Bes¬ 
sie, her face lighting up. “ I guess her name 
aint like mine ; my name is Bessie ; what is 
your girl’s name \ ” 


220 


THE PATH IN THE K A VINE. 


“ Slie be Aff-to-wa.” 

Bessie’s laughter rang out so merrily that 
her friends smiled. 

“Aff-to-wa! what a funny name! Why 
don’t you call her Bessie, or Susie, or Dolly, 
or some other name that I used to know in St. 
Paul. Have you ever been in St. Paul ? ” 

The warrior shook his head. 

“It’s a nice place, and we are going back 
there, for I don’t like to stay here. Papa 
promised to take me back to-morrow, and we 
mean to start real early.” 

Rainsford glanced at the officers and 
remarked in Spanish : 

“ The secret is out now without mistake, 
and the Wild Cat knows it all.” 

“ We’ve got a horse that I’m going to ride 
on with papa ; lie’s a good way off, where the 
bad Indians can’t find him ; it’s down that 
way” (pointing with her hand), “but I know 
you won’t tell the bad Indians, for papa is 
afraid they will take Saladin away.” 

“ We’ll let the young tell-tale alone,” said 
her parent with a smile, “and she will give 
her whole family history.” 


THROUGH THE LINES. 


221 


But childhood is impulsive, and Bessie 
switched off in characteristic fashion : 

“ Won’t you bring Aff-to-wa to see me 
before we go away?” 

What the Wild Cat’s answer would have 
been can only be conjectured, for the opportu¬ 
nity was denied him. The words were yet 
upon the childish lips when the reports of sev¬ 
eral rifles rang out in the stillness, and Lieu¬ 
tenant Hillson, who had shifted his seat more 
than his companion, felt the wind of one of the 
bullets, which whizzed in front of his eyes and 
was buried in the wall opposite. 

It was a startling interruption, and for a 
few seconds each white man believed one of 
his friends had been killed. They leaped from 
their seats, while the terrified parent rushed 
to his child, who was on her feet, bewildered 
like the others, not knowing what it all meant. 

It was a cunning scheme of the marauders 
outside, and accomplished its end marvellously 
well, for it was meant to give the Wild Cat a 
chance of escaping from his prison. 

Thinking only of Bessie, the father caught 
her in his arms, and stepping hastily back, so 


222 THE PATH IN THE EAVINE. 

as to be out of range of the windows, he 
asked: 

“ My dear child, are you hurt ? ” 

“Why, no, papa; but what made him set 
me down so quick?” 

Expecting another volley, the young officers 
imitated the action of their host, not pausing 
to catch up their rifles, which were leaning 
against the wall near the fireplace. As they 
did so the Blackfoot darted across the room 
with arrowy swiftness. He seemed hardly a 
second at the door, but during the brief inter¬ 
val occupied in unfastening it, he managed by 
incredible deftness to secure his rifle, when he 
vanished through the opening as if shot from 
a gun. 

“Shall I fire?” shouted Hillson, dashing 
after him, revolver in hand. 

“ No ; what’s the use?” demanded Palmer, 
leaping to his side. 

“ Then I’m off after help ! ” 

To the amazement of his friend, he darted 
in the direction of the trail along which he had 
conducted his captive a short time before. The 
elder called to him to return, believing he was 


THROUGH THE LINES. 


223 


rushing to certain death, but the sinewy youth 
gave no heed, and before the summons could 
be repeated he was out of sight. 

Success often follows such instant seizure of 
an advantage, the impulse for which comes 
like an inspiration. Had Lieutenant Hillson 
hesitated for a single minute, he must have 
been brought down by one of the dusky va¬ 
grants, who dreamed of no such attempt. The 
shots had entered the rear windows, where the 
warriors were telegraphing to their leader. 
They fired blindly, only taking care not to 
harm the Wild Cat, and then started around 
the structure to cover the flight of the prisoner, 
who they knew would seize his opportunity 
on the instant. Before they could make the 
circuit he met them. 

It was at this juncture that Hillson took his 
desperate chance, and, instead of turning to 
the left, on the heels of the fugitive, sped up 
the faintly marked path toward the mountain 
trail where he and his friend had left their 
horses. 

He expected to hear the crack of rifles 
behind him, and perhaps to be wounded ; but 


224 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

believing lie had taken the only course that 
could save his friends, he bent his whole ener¬ 
gies to flight, not venturing to reply to liis com¬ 
rade, nor even to glance over his shoulder. 

Lieutenant Palmer was as quick of percep¬ 
tion as his friend, and understood the meaning 
of the break. Dreading the consequences of 
the reckless act, he held his place by the open 
door, ready to fire at the first warrior attempt¬ 
ing pursuit; but the seconds passed, and he 
knew Hillson was using them for their utmost 
worth. Nothing could prevent his reaching 
the main path after gaining so good a start, 
for the very boldness of his flight had done 
that which the most deliberate preparation 
would have failed to accomplish. 

Furthermore, Palmer believed that, though 
several minutes had passed, there was a chance 
of following in the footsteps of his friend, and 
he would have done so but for his reluctance 
to desert Mr. Rainsford and Bessie. 

“ Thank Heaven!” murmured the gentle¬ 
man, when he saw his child was unharmed ; 
“I don’t see how you escaped, but, like the 
rest of us, you are safe.” 


THROUGH THE LINES. 


225 


He placed her on her feet again and cau¬ 
tioned her to keep in the rear part of the room, 
beyond reach of the bullets. She obeyed, as 
she always did, her greatest wonderment being 
that the Wild Cat should have set her down 
with such suddenness before replying to her 
question. 

“I don’t think I would pose there, lieuten¬ 
ant,” said Mr. Rainsford, observing the intense 
attitude of Palmer at the door. “ You wear a 
nice uniform, but it won’t impress an Indian 
as too good to shoot at.” 

“ I was trying to cover the flight of Hillson,” 
replied Palmer, stepping back and hastily 
fastening the door. 

“ Whither has he gone?” asked Rainsford. 

“He took a sudden notion to make for the 
fort, I presume, or some point where he can 
get help. I don’t know whether it was a wise 
act or not.” 

“ That will speedily appear; but there is no 
questioning its bravery.” 

“ No one who knows Lieutenant Hillson has 
ever questioned his bravery,” was the honest 
compliment of his comrade. 

15 


226 


THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 


“ I observe he went in such haste that he 
left his Winchester behind, though he may 
have done so purposely.’’ 

“I am quite sure he did, fearing it would, 
affect his speed, which is of the first conse¬ 
quence in reaching the mountain trail.” 

“ More than likely you are right; but 
hark! ” 

Lieutenant Palmer turned pale, for the 
sounds that alarmed him and his friend were 
the reports of weapons from the direction of 
the mountain trail, which until that moment 
it was hoped Hillson had reached in safety. 

Mr. Painsford compressed his lips and shook 
his head. 

“I fear the worst for him,” he said, and 
Palmer’s heart echoed the words. 


CHAPTER XXVI. 

THE LESSER TRAIL. 

HE shots from the direction of the moun- 



-JL. tain trail filled Lieutenant Palmer and 
Mr. Rainsford with dismay, for they proved 
that Hillson, despite the excellent start gained, 
had been discovered before he could reach a 
safe point in his flight from the cabin. Pro¬ 
vided he found his mare where she was left ear¬ 
lier in the afternoon, there was a possibility of 
his getting away, but the chances were so over¬ 
whelmingly against it that the two men forgot 
their own danger in their anxiety for the 
brave youth who had assumed this risk for 
their sakes. 

“ I wish I could go to his help,” said Palmer, 
pacing the floor, “for I cannot bear the 
thought of his fighting the Blackfeet alone.” 

“If there was the first chance of helping 


227 


228 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

him I would say : ‘ Go, and God speed you ;’ 
but there is none.” 

“ How are you fixed for a siege ? ” asked the 
officer, facing abruptly about. 

“ I couldn’t be in much worse shape; ordi¬ 
narily I keep several days’ supply of provisions 
on hand and enough water for a week; but, 
expecting to leave to-morrow morning early, I 
have enough only to last until then.” 

“ That is sufficient,” said Palmer decisively, 
“for I shall not stay here longer than to¬ 
night. We must make a break before day¬ 
light ; there is no moon until near morning, 
and that is in our favor.” 

“Hark!” said the elder, raising his hand. 
The others listened, but all remained still. 

“ What did you hear ? ” asked Palmer. 

“Nothing; the firing has ceased, and prob¬ 
ably it is ended one way or the other. Hold ! ’ ’ 
he added, in some excitement; “ those reports 
showed that several Indians were near the 
upper trail; do you conceive it likely that 
the Wild Cat will send all his men after the 
one fugitive ? ’ ’ 

“Why not? As you have shown, he will 


THE LESSER TRAIL. 


229 


realize that if Hillson gets away he is sure to 
secure help, and he will bend every energy to 
prevent it.” 

“But hardly to the extent of leaving this 
cabin unguarded, though it may be unwatched 
at this moment; and if we do leave, now is the 
time.” 

“I agree with you,” said Palmer, greatly 
impressed, “and we haven’t a minute to lose. 
It won’t do to take anything except what can 
be easily carried in our hands.” 

“Make sure of the gun of your friend as 
well as your own, while I look after Bessie.” 

Naturally the little one required the most 
attention, for her hat had to be adjusted, her 
sacque secured about her with some other 
extra clothing, while no stress of circumstances 
could induce her to leave her doll Peggy be¬ 
hind. With the help of her father, however, 
the arrangements were quickly made. 

“I will lead the way,” he said, observing 
that his friend was about to anticipate him. 

“But you have Tier , and would better keep 
in the background.” 

“No; we shall not take the route of the 



230 THE PATH IN THE EAVINE. 

others, but a new course with which I am 
familiar. I shall seek the place where my 
horse ought to be grazing. Come on.” 

Bessie, who only dimly understood the cause 
of this hurry, was about to ask for some expla¬ 
nation, but a word from her parent closed her 
lips, and slipping her hand within his, she 
bravely accompanied him to the door. 

The act of our friends was reckless. Mr. 
Rainsford paused on the threshold as if about 
to recede, but, with a prayer to Heaven, he 
resolutely stepped forward, and moving 
rapidly, turned to the left, that being the 
course of the Wild Cat in liis dash for 
liberty. 

It seems incredible that a band of Indians, 
assailing a cabin like that of Mr. Rainsford, 
should, at the very beginning, give an oppor¬ 
tunity to those within to walk forth to free¬ 
dom. Such a thing, it maybe insisted, has 
never, and, in the nature of things, can never 
take place. 

But for the reports of guns from the moun¬ 
tain trail Mr. Rainsford would not have 
thought of the attempt he now made. To him 


THE LESSER TRAIL. 


231 


it seemed that failure at one end of the line 
was necessary for success at the other. 

The most trying moment in the flight of him¬ 
self and the lieutenant was when they turned 
the corner of the cabin and left the closed 
door out of sight to the rear. They then knew 
they had gone too far to return; they had 
burned their bridges behind them. 

The sun had set, and the obscurity of twi¬ 
light was settling over the dismal solitude. The 
Bear Paw Mountains, with their vast gorges, 
canons, ravines, chasms, wooded peaks, and 
depths of gloomy wilderness would soon be 
wrapped in the darkness of night. Rainsford 
would have been immeasurably relieved could 
he have postponed the attempt until a later 
hour, for the chance of success would have 
been far greater. 

“ I wish that Hillson had his Winchester,” 
reflected Lieutenant Palmer, as he glided like 
a shadow after the form of Rainsford; “for, 
though I may need it, he is sure to need it 
still more.” 

Mr. Rainsford clasped the hand of Bessie 
tightly in his own, holding his Winchester in 


232 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

the other in a trailing position, while eyes and 
ears were on the alert for the first sign of 
danger. 

Every foot advanced was in his favor, now 
that it was impossible to return to the cabin. 
He was following no well-beaten path, but one 
made by his own feet in visiting the pastu¬ 
rage ground of his horse, and which was 
marked just enough to make his progress easy. 
Palmer noticed that it continually descended, 
indicating that the spot where he had left his 
animal was in a species of valley, probably a 
part of that along which the mountain trail 
skirted. 

When the progress had continued a hundred 
yards the fugitives began to breathe more 
freely. Now that he was debarred from help¬ 
ing his comrade in arms, Palmer was anxious 
to protect Mr. Rainsford and his child so far 
as it was possible for him to do so. It was 
reasonable to believe, after having penetrated 
to this point, that whatever danger threatened 
would approach from the rear. The Blackfeet 
who had pressed Hillson, so sorely would 
speedily return to the cabin, and though the 


THE LESSEE TRAIL. 


233 


door was shut, tliey were likely soon to dis¬ 
cover what had taken place. They would 
then know the folks had followed the opposite 
course from that of the fugitive, and would 
put forth every effort to overtake them before 
they passed beyond reach. 

According to the views of the lieutenant, 
his position as rear guard was the most impor¬ 
tant, and it was this conviction that led him 
to slacken his pace so as to interpose more 
ground between him and his friends. Thus, if 
the officer were forced into a collision with any 
of the Indians, Mr. Rainsford would have the 
better opportunity to save the little girl and 
himself. 

Palmer would have preferred to make 
known the cause of liis slackening pace, but it 
was too perilous to call out. His knowledge 
of his companion led him to hope he would 
understand his course without explanation. 

But in his anxiety to befriend him and his 
child, the lieutenant committed the natural 
mistake of allowing too much space between 
them. He forgot that night was rapidly clos¬ 
ing in, and was alarmed when, in peering 


234 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

ahead, he failed to see the figures of Mr. 
Kainsford and Bessie. 

“This won’t do,” he concluded, hastening 
his steps ; “it is against the principles of war 
to divide your forces in the presence of the 

enemy- Hallo! it’s all right now,” he 

added, as he observed a shadowy figure walk¬ 
ing ahead of him in the gloom. 

He could not see as distinctly as he desired, 
for, as the trail descended into the valley the 
density of the woods seemed to increase, 
rendering the light treacherous and uncertain. 
There were remarkably few bowlders or rocks 
encountered, though plenty of them were near. 
In traversing the route, Mr. Hainsford had 
naturally sought the easiest course and avoided 
all obstructions possible. 

Palmer saw only the head and shoulders of 
the figure in front, the rest of the body being 
hidden by the vegetation which in many places 
overhung the path. He detected nothing of 
Bessie, whose figure was too tiny to rise into 
his field of vision. 

It would have been easier for the father to 
place his child immediately in front or rear, 


THE LESSER TRAIL. 


235 


because of the straitness of the path, and 
under ordinary circumstances he would have 
done so, but his solicitude for her was so deep 
that he could not let her hand pass out of his 
own, though to retain it increased the diffi¬ 
culty of walking. Should the trail become too 
narrow to permit them to journey side by side, 
he would lift her in his arms. 

While the general course of the path was 
downward there were places showing a slight 
rise, as was the case with the mountain trail 
along which he and Hillson had ridden earlier 
in the day, and it was this fact that imparted 
a bit of information to Lieutenant Palmer 
which fairly took away his breath. 

The figure ahead came more fully into view 
because of one of the elevations named, than 
when both were on a common level. There 
was enough light to show his form quite dis¬ 
tinctly to the knees, as it happened that both 
sides of the path were more open than usual. 

Palmer was gaining, and, watching the man 
as he came into clearer view, he observed that 
he was alone. Little Bessie was nowhere in 
sight. He would have concluded that she was 


236 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

walking in front, had not the second glance 
revealed that he was not following Mr. Rains- 
ford, but an Indian warrior ! 

This astonishing discovery, while explaining 
the child’s absence, complicated matters still 
more, for, despite the lieutenant’s care, the 
force, originally consisting of three men, had 
been twice divided in the face of the enemy, 
and here, when he never dreamed of the possi¬ 
bility, a Blackfoot Indian had insinuated him¬ 
self between him and Mr. Rainsford. 

Where he came from, whether he knew of 
the white man following him while he was 
prowling after the leader, what his intentions 
were, whether or not there were others in the 
vicinity, were questions which it was useless 
to consider, since it was clearly out of his 
power to answer them. 

“You have no business there,” muttered 
Palmer, breaking into a stealthy lope, and 
holding himself ready to use one of his guns 
the instant the emergency arose. 

His dread was that the Indian would steal 
close enough to Mr. Rainsford to do him ill. 
Taking it for granted that the young officer 


THE LESSER TRAIL. 


237 


was protecting tlie rear, he was likely to give 
less attention to that than to the front, thus 
increasing his enemy’s chances in any move 
against him. 

But if the Blackfoot was cunning enough to 
step between friends in this manner, he was 
quite sure to be on guard against any such 
trick as the lieutenant contemplated. Appear¬ 
ances indicated that he was unaware of the 
whereabouts of Palmer at the moment of enter¬ 
ing the path and beginning his peculiar pur¬ 
suit of Mr. Rainsford and his child, but this 
ignorance could not continue. 

Nothing would have been easier than to 
shoot the skulking savage, who was only a 
few rods in advance, but he had no intention 
of that, since as yet there was no call to pro¬ 
ceed to such extremes, and the report of the 
gun was quite sure to bring others to the spot. 

The head, shoulders, and body of the Black- 
foot steadily dropped, as, having passed the 
higher point, he descended the brief slope on 
the other side, while his pursuer rose more 
rapidly, for he kept up a trot. 

A few seconds were enough to take him to 


238 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

the elevation, where, recalling that, if the 
Indian looked around, he was sure to see him, 
Palmer crouched low and moved as stealthily 
as he could down the declivity. This extreme 
care, however, proved unnecessary, since he 
had taken only a few steps when he discovered 
that he was following no one. The warrior 
who was in his front a moment before was 
there no longer. His keen senses had apprised 
him of his danger, and he concluded the occa¬ 
sion was a favorable one for disappearing. 

While this was gratifying in one sense, it 
was disturbing in another ; for, to rejoin Mr. 
Rainsford in front, the officer must continue 
along the path and pass directly in front of 
the Blackfoot, who would doubtless be crouch¬ 
ing like a panther to leap upon him the instant 
he came within reach. 

But the lieutenant hesitated only a moment 
as to his right course. He was convinced that 
the occasion called for a smaller fire-arm than 
his rifle, and besides the report would not be 
heard so far away. Accordingly he slipped 
both guns under his left arm, and, holding his 
revolver in his right hand, moved down the 


THE LESSER TRAIL. 


239 


slope toward the point where he believed his 
enemy was waiting for him. 

Had he been familiar with the locality he 
would have tried to flank his enemy, but to 
turn to the right or left would involve him in 
a labyrinth of difficulty, with the prospect of 
losing his way altogether, without giving him 
the first advantage over his subtle foe. 

It was a tremendous test of the officer’s 
nerves. He was advancing upon a treacherous 
Indian without knowing where he was or 
from what quarter his deadly blow would 
come. He was uncertain, even, whether he 
was on his right or left, but with sight and 
hearing at the highest tension, he advanced 
quietly along the trail, glancing in every direc¬ 
tion and on the alert. 

He had passed perhaps fifty feet beyond the 
slight elevation, when a shiver of apprehen¬ 
sion passed over him, for he was certain he 
saw the Blackfoot crouching on his right and 
close to the path. It looked as if he had 
managed, after all, to come upon the warrior so 
unexpectedly that he had no time to conceal 
himself in the abundant vegetation around 


240 


THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 


him. Certain that he was trying to do so, the 
lieutenant joaused, and levelling his revolver, 
said in a low voice : 

“ Step in front of me or I will shoot! ” 

Possibly the red man did not understand 
the words, for there was no move to obey the 
command. 

The situation was too critical to admit of 
trifling. There was no saying how far in 
advance Mr. Rainsford had got by this time, 
and the distance was increasing each second. 
Palmer ideated his command in the same 
low, but earnest voice : 

“ Stand up or I will fire ! ” 

Not the slightest movement followed, and 
with his pistol pointed full at the figure the 
lieutenant let fly with two chambers in quick 
succession. 

He expected a wild leap and cry to follow, 
accompanied perhaps by a fierce bound at him, 
to avoid which he recoiled a step, with his 
weapon ready to use again, if necessary. 

But to his amazement the figure did not stir. 
It looked as if he had missed and the Black- 
foot was coolly defying him. 


THE LESSEE TRAIL. 


241 


The officer stood a moment bewildered, and 
then, prompted by a suspicion which flashed 
across his mind, he stepped guardedly forward 
and scrutinized the form before him. 

“ Well! ” he exclaimed, “ I aint very proud 
of that/” 

The remnant of a tree, probably shattered 
by lightning, so as to leave a few feet of splin¬ 
tered stump, had been mistaken for the form 
of an Indian and had received the two bullets 
which the lieutenant was so prompt to fire. 

“ No wonder he didn’t obey me,” he added, 
moving hastily past the stump, and wondering 
how, even in the gloom, he made the absurd 
blunder. 

But his enemy could not be far off, as was 
proven the next instant, when-he was heard 
moving so hurriedly among the vegetation that 
his course was easily traceable. He had left 
the path and was effecting a change of base 
with all possible despatch. 

The lieutenant decided that he had reason to 
congratulate himself, after all, for though his 
revolver had inflicted no damage, it was the 
means of dislodging the Blackfoot from a posi- 
16 


242 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

tion in which it was easy to pick off the 
courageous youth. 

He knew Mr. Rains ford had heard the report 
of his weapon, and doubtless would stop in his 
flight to learn the cause. He was likely to 
identify the sound as that of a pistol instead 
of a Winchester, and could not fail to know 
that the rear guard had collided with the 
enemy. 

Palmer did not dare to call out r though 
tempted to do so, for he feared bringing other 
parties to the spot. They were still near 
enough to the cabin, and, indeed to the moun¬ 
tain trail, for the Wild Cat and his party to 
hear the report of the revolver, which was 
likely to hurry them forward. 

The gloom was deepening, and the officer 
was not long in learning that he must moderate 
his pace to avoid straying from the path and 
losing his way. He had narrowly missed leav¬ 
ing it more than once, and he found it neces¬ 
sary to halt now and then and nse his hands to 
make sure of the right course. 

But recalling that Mr. Rainsford had told 
him that the spot where he hoped to find his 


THE LESSEE TRAIL. 


243 


horse was only a fourth of a mile away from 
the cabin, he concluded that he had already 
travelled that distance, and consequently it 
was time he saw or heard something of his 
friend. 

Pushing on a short way farther, he halted, 
convinced that it was imprudent to advance 
another step. He had stood but a minute, 
however, when he caught the sound of a 
guarded whistle—so faint that at first he could 
not determine the point whence it came. 

“ Possibly it is Mr. Painsford,” he reflected, 
“ but more likely it is the Wild Cat or one of 
his warriors, and I’ll make him uncover first.” 

And with this prudent conclusion, he 
crouched as low as possible in the vegetation 
at the side of the path. 


CHAPTER XXVII. 

TURNING THE TABLES. 


S TANDING as motionless as a statue in the 
gloom, Lieutenant Palmer listened to the 
guarded signal which reached him from some 
point near at hand, though so faintly that he 
was unable to decide the direction, until after 
a full minute’s pause he heard it again, with 
just enough increase of force to show that the 
one emitting it was in front and close at 
hand. 

The officer’s good fortune thus far gave him 
enough confidence to reply to the signal when 
he noted it the second time, though he still 
suspected it came from a foe instead of a 
friend. 

“ Hallo, lieutenant, is that you ? ” 

The query was uttered in a cautious under¬ 
tone, but there could be no doubt of its source. 
“ Yes ; where are you, Mr. Rainsford ? ” 

244 


TURNING THE TABLES. 


245 


The head and shoulders of his friend rose to 
view, not half a dozen paces away, and Palmer 
moved forward to greet him. 

“It seems to me,” said the elder, “that 
matters are getting mixed ; why did you fire 
your pistol just now ? ” 

“ I tried to hit an Indian, but didn’t.” 

“ Where was he? ” 

“He got between you and me in the path; 
but when he found I was after him, he slipped 
away. Where is Bessie ? ” 

“A few steps off; she understands the 
trouble, and not only treads as lightly as a 
fawn, but hardly ever speaks except in a 
whisper.” 

“ Why did you halt here ? ” 

“ I missed you, and besides, the spot where 
I have been keeping my horse is just beyond.” 

“ Is he here ? ” 

“I haven’t seen him yet, but I am hopeful 
of doing so. Come with me, and, if you please, 
don’t fall far enough behind to tempt another 
interloper to slip between.” 

“No fear of that,” replied Palmer, follow¬ 
ing close upon the heels of his friend. 


246 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

A few steps farther and he perceived that 
Bessie was again walking beside her father. 
Shortly after they emerged into a natural cleav¬ 
ing of a half acre’s extent. There were bushes 
and shrubbery at intervals, but even in the 
gloom it was easy to see the place was admir¬ 
ably fitted to furnish the best of grazing for 
horse or kine. 

The ever-present fear of an attack by the 
Blackfeet kept the little party on the move. 
There were many places where a large animal 
could conceal itself against a prolonged search 
in the darkness, and the owner of the horse 
did not attempt to search for him. Instead, 
he called the name “Saladin” several times, 
sufficiently loud to be heard a hundred yards 
away. 

The wonderfully good fortune which had 
attended Mr. Rainsford thus far remained with 
him, for, at the first call, an answering neigh 
came from the lower side of the clearing, and 
the horse, concerning which there was so much 
anxiety, trotted toward them. 

“ Oh, there he is ! ” exclaimed the delighted 
Bessie, clapping her hands and running a few 


TURNING THE TABLES. 


247 


steps to meet the noble animal, which, pausing 
with a snulf of pleasure, reached down his 
nose for her to caress. 

“Mr. Rainsford,” said the surprised lieu¬ 
tenant, “how is it that he is saddled and 
bridled ? ” 

“I did that this afternoon, removing the 
bit so that he could graze ; you will remember 
I told you we meant to start early, and though 
I was obliged to leave many things behind, we 
are well enough provided as it is.” 

“You are fortunate, indeed ; but how about 
leaving this place? We shall have to follow 
the path that leads by your house and up to 
the mountain trail, where we are likely to 
meet our old acquaintances.” 

“It is not so bad as that,” was the reply, 
“though not as favorable as I could wish. 
We will push beyond this opening, and then, 
by climbing a steep path to the left, reach the 
main one, which leads along the mountain 
side, and which, unfortunately, is the only 
avenue that will take us out of the neigh¬ 
borhood.” 

‘ ‘ Will you mount your horse ? ” 


248 


THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 


“Not until we reach the mountain trail, 
because the climb is too steep, and Saladin 
will have all he can do without carrying any 
extra burden, but he will follow wherever we 
lead.” 

The gentleman moved along the upper side 
of the clearing holding Bessie’s hand, the 
horse just behind her, while the lieutenant, as 
before, formed the rear guard. Only a short 
distance was passed when the leader made an 
abrupt turn to the left, pausing to say: 

“ The path here is so narrow that we shall 
have to walk in Indian file ; I will go in front, 
Bessie next, and Saladin and you last.” 

Mr. Rainsford was correct when he said that 
the tributary trail was precipitous. It seemed 
to the lieutenant that they were climbing 
directly up the mountain-side, compelling even 
such a fine athlete as he to breathe faster than 
usual, while it was equally hard on the others. 
He was surprised to observe how well Saladin 
did his part. Occasionally his hoofs knocked 
a stone loose, and he stumbled slightly once 
or twice, but persevered, like the intelligent 
animal lie was. It may have been he remem- 


TURNING THE TABLES. 249 

bered his previous experience, for otherwise 
he must have fallen. 

After a time, the leader halted to give all a 
breathing spell. 

44 How does Bessie stand it ? ” asked Palmer, 
closing in about his friends, and mopping his 
brow with his handkerchief. 

“It’s pretty hard work,” said the cheerful 
girl, “but I can stand it if you and Saladin 
can.” 

“We haven’t much farther to go,” remarked 
her father, 4 4 and when we reach the mountain 
trail we will take turns in riding.” 

44 From that point how far is it to where 
Hillson and I left it in such a hurry?” 

44 Less than a fourth of a mile.” 

44 If I shall be fortunate enough to come 
across my horse, it will be plain sailing thence¬ 
forward.” 

“I am sure you build no hope upon any 
such impossibility as that f ” 

44 No,” replied Palmer, with a sigh. 

The journey was resumed and found as 
difficult as before, the progress often being of 
the roughest nature, but they were cheered by 


250 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

tlie knowledge that they were close to the main 
path or mountain trail. 

“ This is the last stop,” remarked the leader, 
when the panting travellers paused again, 
“for we are within a stone’s throw of the 
other path.” 

“ Why should we stop at all? ” 

“We will be in better shape when the 
climbing is ended.” 

“ I will go back a little way,” said the lieu¬ 
tenant, “and listen for the Blackfeet, for it 
cannot be possible we are rid of them.” 

He retraced his steps a short distance, but 
saw and heard nothing. Recalling the com¬ 
mon expedient of persons in his situation, he 
lay flat on his face and pressed his ear to the 
ground. 

The result was disquieting, for he did hear 
someone treading the path. The sounds were 
very faint, and when he raised his head be¬ 
came inaudible. 

His first thought was that the disturbance 
was produced by hoofs, but he was convinced 
that the cause was moccasons and that there 
were several pairs of them. The fact that he 


TURNING THE TABLES. 251 

could hear them at all was proof that they 
were alarmingly near. 

Lieutenant Palmer was puzzled, and for a 
minute or two undecided what to do. His 
inclination was to hasten back and warn 
Rainsford of this new and imminent danger, 
but he feared his enemies would follow so 
quickly that escape would be cut off. 

He wondered that he could not see the 
Blackfeet, when, resting on his hands, he 
raised his head and peered into the gloom 
behind him, for, as has been shown, there 
could be no question that they were very 
near. 

For the third and last time he bent his head 
to the earth and listened intently. To his 
astonishment he heard nothing. 

What could it mean ? Could it be the war¬ 
riors were moving in the opposite direction, 
and had passed beyond hearing ? Or had they 
come to a halt on learning they were so near 
the fugitives ? 

These questions were in the mind of the 
young officer when a noise, different from any¬ 
thing yet noted, struck his ear, and, before he 


252 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

could spring up or guess its nature it seemed 
tliat a mountainous bowlder liad fallen upon 
bim. 

From tbe gloom immediately behind bounded 
a sinewy Indian, landing on tbe back and 
shoulders of tbe lieutenant with a violence that 
almost drove tbe breath from bis body. He 
struggled fiercely, but was caught at a fatal 
disadvantage. He twisted, turned, and 
writhed with such vigor that be would have 
displaced tbe incubus bad not liis assailant 
been joined by a second and third Indian, all 
of whom took a band in tbe unequal struggle. 
Tbe two rifles to which Palmer bad clung were 
wrenched from bis grasp, and before he could 
prevent it be was a prisoner as powerless as a 
child. 

But bis tongue was at command, and before 
any of bis captors suspected bis purpose be 
shouted: 

“Run, Mr. Rainsford, they have me fast! ” 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 

THE WILD CAT’S PRISONERS. 

I T was a startling cry that rang out along 
the mountain-side in the profound stillness 
of the night, but no one hearing the words 
c6uld mistake their meaning. 

Lieutenant Palmer was quick-witted enough 
to catch a single ray of hope from a feature 
of his stirring experience which would have 
escaped the notice of most captives in his 
situation. Nothing was clearer than the fact 
that, had they chosen to slay him, they could 
have done so with the utmost ease and without 
the slightest risk to themselves. They had 
demonstrated their overwhelming strength and 
their ability to do as they chose with him. 

But from some cause they refrained, at least 
for the time, from offering him harm. He was 
panting from his severe exertions, and when 
he strove to rise he was allowed to do so with¬ 
out interference on their part. 


254 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

The young officer was in a sorry condition. 
His clothing was disarranged and torn in some 
places, and both rifles were in the possession 
of his captors. Little fear of his renewing the 
struggle under such conditions. He thought 
there were at least a half dozen engaged in the 
fight, for at times the red men interfered with 
each other in the vigor of their efforts. But, 
looking around in the gloom, only three war¬ 
riors were in sight. He concluded that the 
others had hurried along the path in pursuit 
of Mr. Rainsford. 

Of course he could not know whether his 
warning cry had done any good, but he was 
hopeful that it had. That gentleman was ex¬ 
perienced in the ways of the border, and had 
come in collision with the Blackfeet more than 
once. Besides this, he was familiar with the 
locality, and ought to be able to do far better 
than anyone else when hard pressed by the 
Indians. It all depended upon the time the 
warning reached his ears ; a few seconds might 
settle his fate one way or the other. 

Another discouraging truth flashed upon the 
lieutenant in his hapless situation. He knew 


THE WILD cat’s prisoners. 255 

the rule of the border, that the first step after 
firing a weapon is to reload it; but two cham¬ 
bers of his revolver were empty, lie having 
failed to recharge them after his bombard¬ 
ment of the supposed warrior at the side of 
the path; but if he could draw the weapon 
unnoticed, there were enough bullets left for 
the trio, after which he could rush to the help 
of his friend. 

As he stood on his feet he was surrounded 
by his captors, and it was impossible to break 
away in any direction. Not a word was ut¬ 
tered by any one of the party, and he glared 
at the painted faces dimly visible in the 
gloom, wondering whether the Wild Cat was 
among them. He thought not. 

Determined to use his pistol if he could, he 
let his right hand drop carelessly at his side, 
and moved it cautiously toward the back of 
his belt. He was sure the action would not be 
noticed, but it was, and a brawny hand closed 
like a vice around his wrist. He struggled to 
free himself and succeeded, but before doing 
so his adversary deftly extracted the weapon 
from its leathern case. 


256 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

At last the lieutenant was utterly helpless. 
He was only a youth, and these three warriors 
were in their prime. Having possession of all 
his weapons, it was useless to resist further, 
and he gave it up. A feeling of despair came 
over him, and he sullenly awaited the will of 
these red men, who had turned the tables so 
completely upon him. 

The next action of his captors showed they 
could not converse in English. One of them 
said something, evidently for the prisoner; 
but, being in the Indian lingo, he had no idea 
of its meaning, though he had picked up a few 
words of the tongue since his assignment to 
frontier service. 

The warrior repeated the words in a louder 
tone, and pointed up the path toward the 
point where he had parted from Mr. Rains- 
ford. The gesture was such a plain command 
for Palmer to move in that direction that he 
obeyed at once. 

This was not the order he expected, for he 
thought his captors would descend the slope 
again. He had heard no sound from the direc¬ 
tion of his friends, and was quite hopeful they 


THE WILD CAT’S PRISONERS. 257 

had effected their escape, since the last half, 
as already shown, was near the main trail, 
where their horse would be able to make 
excellent progress. 

The Apaches of the Southwest have been 
known to trot up the side of a mountain for a 
thousand feet without showing the least evi¬ 
dence of fatigue on reaching the crest. The 
Northern Indians sometimes display an endur¬ 
ance hardly less wonderful. They are indiffer¬ 
ent to cold, heat, hunger, and thirst, and others 
succumb where they show no inconvenience. 

The three Blackfeet holding Lieutenant 
Palmer in custody climbed the steep path with 
as much ease as they would have walked the 
same distance of level prairie, while the youth, 
who was an excellent specimen of lusty man¬ 
hood, found the exertion of the most trying 
nature, due, no doubt, to the fact that he was 
unaccustomed to that kind of labor. There 
were other tests of physical endurance which 
he would have done better than they; for it 
is beyond dispute that the Caucasian race is 
capable of development to a higher point in 
every direction than any other. 

17 


258 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

While Lieutenant Palmer could see no 
present hope for himself, his relief was great 
at observing nothing of Mr. Rainsford and his 
child, for it seemed to him that, if they once 
attained the mountain trail, all would be well. 
The fact that he had heard no guns fired gave 
him hope. 

Ten minutes later the party stood on the 
level path above, and the keen eyes of the 
prisoner, scanning the course as far as the 
darkness would permit, still failed to detect a 
sign of his friends. 

“Thank Heaven!” he murmured, “that 
the others have been more fortunate than I.” 

His gratitude was mingled with a faint hope 
for himself, for he reasoned that if Mr. Rains- 
ford succeeded in getting away he would make 
all haste to Fort Assinaboine with word of his 
misfortune, and immediate steps for his rescue 
would be set on foot by the commandant. 
True, the vagrant Blackfeet meanwhile would 
have abundant opportunity to do what they 
chose with him ; but the military arm, after 
all, is the deterrent power and the great civil¬ 
izing agency among the Indians. As has been 


THE WILD CAT’S PRISONERS. 259 

stated elsewhere, these red men were well 
aware that if harm befell him the most search¬ 
ing investigation would be made, with every 
chance that the crime would be fixed upon the 
guilty parties and bring certain punishment. 

It was not impossible that therein lay the 
cause of the lieutenant’s present immunity. 
Perhaps the Wild Cat had given orders that 
lie was to suffer no harm until everyone was 
in custody. This was theorizing to the fine 
point, but it brought its measure of consola¬ 
tion to the otherwise hapless prisoner. 

Palmer was disappointed when, instead of 
turning to the left, thereby following the 
course of his friends, his captors took the 
opposite direction, thus plunging farther 
among the mountains and lessening liis 
chances of success in case he made a break for 
liberty, little prospect of any such opportunity 
being offered while the situation remained as 
it was. 

One of the Blackfeet took the advance, 
the others walking behind him. The only 
possible way open, therefore, was by a sud¬ 
den bound to the right or left. The latter 


260 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

course would compel him to climb the precipi¬ 
tous mountain-side, where the red men would 
be upon him before he could take a dozen 
steps. A leap to the right was equally hope¬ 
less, for the slope soon assumed such a steep 
incline that a venture would be like the plunge 
of the stricken buck over the precipice. 

But the prisoner had scant time for specula¬ 
tion. The trail, which continued uniformly 
even, wound in and out among the mountains, 
until, at a shorter bend than usual, a broad 
ledge was reached, where the width was fully 
two score feet. 

In this place a large fire was burning, with 
a couple of Blackfeet seated on the ground 
smoking their long-stemmed pipes, and show¬ 
ing no surprise at the arrival of their compan¬ 
ions and their prisoner. 

“I suppose this is the court that will settle 
my case,” concluded the lieutenant, coming to 
a halt a few paces from the fire, and awaiting 
the pleasure of his captors. 

The three held a brief conversation with the 
couple, who seemed to feel no interest in the 
white man, though he noticed they took care 


THE WILD CAT’S PRISONERS. 261 

so to dispose of themselves that flight in the 
only possible direction was shut off. 

The brief conversation finished, the two that 
had risen to their feet resumed their places on 
the ground, still smoking their pipes. One of 
the new arrivals busied himself for a few min¬ 
utes in gathering fuel, which was thrown on 
the blaze, whose glare must have been visible 
a long way to the northward. 

The lieutenant did not venture to sit down, 
but stood with folded arms gloomily looking 
into the embers and occasionally glancing at 
the red men, whose countenances were doubly 
repellent in the reflection of the firelight. 
They often turned toward the trail, as though 
looking for the coming of someone. 

Since there were five of them present, and it 
was evident others were in the neighborhood, 
Palmer reflected that Mr. Rainsford must have 
under-estimated the strength of the Wild Cat’s 
band, for it was likely that the leader had fully 
as many with him ; and as long as they made 
their home in the recesses of the Bear Paw 
Mountains they could defy the police authori¬ 
ties, and indeed a large military force. 


262 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

One of tlie captors uttered an exclamation 
which turned all eyes in the direction of the 
trail. The lieutenant, doing the same, saw four 
more warriors approaching. One of them was 
leading the horse of Mr. Rainsford, and in 
the saddle sat that gentleman, with Bessie 
supported in front by one arm passed around 
her waist. They, too, were prisoners of the 
vagrant Blackfeet. 


Now, Kitty, do your best 

































CHAPTER XXIX. 

“now, kitty, do your best!” 


E AINSFORD and Palmer gave Lieutenant 
Hillson more credit than was his due 
when they believed he left his Winchester 
behind because it was likely to impede his 
desperate flight from the cabin. In truth, the 
officer had not run a hundred yards when 
he recalled his forgetfulness, and felt he had 
made a mistake which promised to defeat the 
very object that inspired the venture. He 
would have turned back for the weapon had 
not the thought come too late. He therefore 
hurried along the trail with his utmost speed. 
Lieutenant Palmer would have felt no little 
self-reproof could he have known that he was 
responsible for the difficulties and perils in 
which his friend speedily became involved, 
but such was the fact. 

The sudden break of Hillson carried him 
beyond sight of the Blackfeet before any of 


264 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

them shifted his position so as to gain a view 
of the front of the house. The Wild Cat was 
hardly received into the arms of his friends, 
as may be said, when one of them took it into 
his head to bring the other side of the struct¬ 
ure under surveillance. 

He stole into view a few seconds after Hill- 
son had vanished, and while Palmer was stand¬ 
ing in the half-open door, gazing so earnestly 
up the path that the sagacious warrior read 
liis purpose almost on the instant the door 
was shut. But for that brief sight he would 
not have suspected the daring feat of Hillson, 
who would have reached the mountain trail 
with an unobstructed road to Fort Assina- 
boine. 

The x>rowling Blackfoot made known his 
suspicions to his comrades, and the Wild Cat 
himself, with one of his best men, set off in 
pursuit. In doing so they took care to reach 
the lesser path at a point beyond view of those 
in the cabin—an unnecessary precaution, since 
neither Mr. Rainsford nor Lieutenant Palmer 
happened to be on the watch at that moment. 

Even with this mishap all might have gone 


“now, kitty, do your best ! ” 265 

well with Hillson but for his hesitation at a 
crisis when there was not a second to spare. 
He reached the main trail so far in advance 
of his pursuers that he could have secured a 
good start, which, if vigorously used, would 
have quickly taken him out of the dangerous 
neighborhood. 

It was natural that he should be anxious to 
secure Kitty, his mare, for once in the saddle, 
with a clear path in front, he could have 
scorned pursuit by the fleetest of the Indians, 
whose horses, if they had any, were beyond 
immediate reach. 

To his keen disappointment, nothing was 
seen of her nor of Palmer’s horse. He 
paused at the spot where they had been 
abandoned, but they were gone. He deemed 
it probable that they had not been captured 
by the vagrants, since there was no reason to 
suspect any of them had been there, but all 
were in the vicinity of the cabin. 

It was this hope that caused him to hesitate, 
when he ought to have turned northward and 
lost not a minute in leaving the section. The 
horses, as he supposed, were wandering some- 


266 THE PATH IN THE KAVINE. 

where near, but whether to the right or left 
could only be conjectured. He decided to 
make a hasty search along the trail to the 
right, which, it will be borne in mind, led 
deeper into the mountains, and away from any 
help he might otherwise secure. 

He realized the risk of this course, but he 
did not intend to go far. Should the Black- 
feet come up the lesser path, they would have 
every opportunity to cut off his escape before 
he could return. 

He must act promptly, and, having regained 
his wind during the brief halt, he resumed his 
run along the mountain trail, not only peering 
ahead for his mare, but listening and watching 
for those whom he dreaded to see. 

He had run a short way when he uttered a 
suppressed cry of delight, for around the first 
bend in the path he descried both horses, sad¬ 
dled, bridled, and improving the opportunity 
by cropping the tufts of grass and tender 
vegetation within reach. 

In his joy he called the name of Kitty, who 
raised her head, and, with a whinny, trotted 
forward to meet him. He paused long enough 


“now, kitty, do your best!” 267 

to caress her forehead and nose, and to examine 
the trappings, when he placed his foot in the 
stirrup and vaulted into the saddle. 

“Now for Fort Assinaboine,” he muttered, 
“and we’ll soon rout these fellows, and teach 
them better than to interfere with Uncle Sam’s 
boys in blue.” 

It was barely two hundred yards to the inter¬ 
section of the trails, and the mare required but 
a few seconds to reach the point; but swift as 
was her gait, the Blackfeet beat her. Hillson 
decided to leave his companion’s horse, in the 
hope that he might prove of some use to the 
owner, and he therefore gave his whole atten¬ 
tion to the task before him. He meant to urge 
the mare to the utmost, not sparing her until 
the fort was reached. 

Half the space named was passed when he 
observed two Blackfeet standing where the 
paths met. One was the Wild Cat, whom he 
recognized as he dodged behind shelter. He, 
too, had committed an error, but just then 
the chief occupation of all parties concerned 
seemed to be that of blundering. 

The lieutenant, being warned of his danger, 


268 


THE PATH IN THE EAVINE. 


saw he must run the gauntlet or turn about, 
and fleeing in the opposite direction, enter 
a network of perils with little prospect of 
ultimate escape, and with none at all of 
befriending those in the cabin. But in this 
instance there was not a second’s hesitation 
on his part. 

“ Now, Kitty, do your best! ” 

He touched the spur against her silken side, 
and she responded with a burst that sent her 
up the trail like a whirlwind. The officer sat 
erect in the saddle, with the reins lying loose 
on her neck, and revolver in hand he charged 
straight forward, as if resolved to run down 
the dusky rogues that disputed his path. 

Sometimes, at the most critical period in a 
person’s life, the oddest fancies assert them¬ 
selves. The moment he pricked the mare 
with his spur, and she responded so gamely, 
he recalled that wild charge across the grounds 
at West Point which is the last official 
“ demonstration,” as it may be termed, of the 
graduating class. 

He was once more among the eager cadets 
as they wheeled their steeds in front of the 


“now, kitty, do your best ! ” 269 

academy buildings, and beading toward the 
hotel, sent them flying on a dead run across 
the level plain. The horses champed their 
bits, and in their excitement became almost 
uncontrollable; their young riders knew that 
half of them were running away and were glad 
of it, for it was the one time for animals as 
well as horsemen to abandon themselves to the 
thrilling spell which ends the four years’ 
arduous course at the institution. 

Lieutenant Hillson lived it all over again. 
He heard the shouts of the gray-coated 
cadets as they swung their sabres right and 
left, slashing at imaginary foes crouching on 
the ground, and each steed stretched his neck 
forward in the fierce effort to out-strip his 
competitors; he caught a glimpse of the 
blanched faces, the bright eyes, and glowing 
countenances of the pretty maidens gathered 
on the hotel porch and along the sides of the 
plain among the cannon to admire the young 
heroes as they thundered past; he recalled 
the scared countenances of the proud fathers 
and mothers, the half envious glances of the 
plebes and lower classmen, whose blood tingled 


270 THE PATH IN THE KAVINE. 

with the thought of the coming June day when 
they should become the mad body of troopers ; 
it was all there again—the calmly flowing 
Hudson, the grand old mountains wreathed in 
luxuriant foliage, through which the Observa¬ 
tory and the ruins of Fort Putnam frowned, 
the chapel, the library and academic buildings, 
Officers’ Row, half hidden behind shade trees, 
the hotel in front, with the gleam and sparkle 
of the romantic river beyond, Crow’s Nest, the 
rugged crags, the landscape and water, bathed 
in the glory of summer—all these took form 
in the gathering twilight as Lieutenant Hillson 
spurred his mare to a wild run and charged 
directly at the Blackfeet, who eagerly awaited 
his coming. 

He did not shout, though the old thrill fired 
his blood, but with pistol levelled at the spot 
where he knew that two at least of his foes 
were crouching, he let fly with three chambers, 
the last being discharged at the instant he was 
abreast of the spot and speeding by like an 
arrow. 

He did not expect to hit anything, unless by 
accident, his purpose being to confuse the 


“now, kitty, do your best !” 271 

miscreants and spoil tlieir aim, when the space 
was so fearfully short; but he knew they were 
veterans at that kind of work, and, though 
they might be bewildered for the moment, they 
would rally quickly. 

Having discharged his three shots, Hillson 
adopted the Indian tactics by flinging himself 
forward, with his face close to the neck of 
his mare, and as much of his body as pos¬ 
sible over her right shoulder. This minified 
the human target, but could not ensure his 
safety. 

The purpose of the young officer was accom¬ 
plished by his reckless charge. Although the 
bullets from his revolver whistled harmlessly 
among the rocks and vegetation, they confused 
the Wild Cat and his companion for the 
moment, and prevented their shooting him 
when he and his steed were almost within 
arm’s length. 

As he sped past, the Blackfeet leaped from 
their shelter into the open path and brought 
their guns to their shoulders. The mare was 
going up the trail like a meteor, with only a 
part of the rider’s uniform visible, as he bent 


272 


THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 


low and refrained from increasing liis peril by 
an attempt to look back. 

The two guns were discharged in rapid suc¬ 
cession, and then, absurd as the act appeared, 
both warriors broke into a run after the flying 
fugitive. 


CHAPTER XXX. 


THE HEATH OF KITTY. 

HE Wild Cat was an excellent marksman, 



and fully conscious that the youth must 
not escape, though the motion of the mare and 
the small portion of his body visible rendered 
the target a poor one. Had he been erect in 
the saddle he must of a surety have been pierced 
by the well-aimed bullet. As it was, he felt a 
stream of fire run along his left thigh, and he 
clapped his hand thither to learn the extent of 
the wound. 

The ball had ploughed across the limb, cut¬ 
ting a rent of several inches in the trousers and 
slightly abrading the skin, but not to the 
extent of drawing blood. He could not have 
had a closer call. 

The second Blackfoot also fired, but his 
weapon was not so well directed, and, instead 
of striking the rider, buried itself in his steed. 

Hillson felt the mare’s spasmodic shudder 


18 


273 


274 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

under the saddle and knew she was hit hard. 
He could not tell how hard, but, because she 
continued her fierce gallop, lie hoped the 
wound was not serious. He gradually shifted 
round in the saddle again, but continued to 
lean forward, with his head bent low, until he 
could look back at his pursuers. 

When he saw them speeding after him on 
foot he would have smiled but for his solici¬ 
tude about Kitty. He assumed the upright 
posture, for by keeping watch of the red men 
he could tell when either was making ready to 
fire, and it was easy to fling his body forward 
again. Furthermore, the distance between 
them was increasing fast, and he doubted 
whether their weapons were loaded, since, if 
they were of the Sharpe pattern (as was the 
fact), no opportunity for recharging them had 
been given. 

Kitty was swiftly nearing the turn in the 
trail from which the buck had taken his last 
leap, and where Lieutenant Palmer came so 
nigh being winged by the Wild Cat, when her 
rider was startled by her action. She lurched 
to the very edge of the path on the left, missing 


TIIE DEATH OF KITTY. 275 

going over by a hair ; then she swung back 
again, and with a moan reeled to the right and 
left like a drunken person. At the same 
moment several warm crimson flecks from her 
nostrils were sprinkled over the knees of the 
rider. 

She was mortally wounded and could not 
last a minute longer, but she was game 
to the end. She knew she was bearing her 
master from danger, and she gave him the last 
ounce of strength. She was still on a furious 
run, and for a moment staggered, as if about 
to go down, but shaking herself together, 
pointed her nose up the trail, and bent every 
energy toward reaching the bend, now but a 
few bounds distant. 

Few forms of affection are stronger than 
that of a man for his intelligent and faith¬ 
ful horse who shares his perils and priva¬ 
tions with him. Lieutenant Hillson had 
owned his mare for a couple of years, and 
no deeper pang ever pierced his heart than 
when he saw her stagger, and knew she was 
doomed. 

“ Poor Kitty L” he murmured, as tears filled 


276 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

liis eyes, and lie forgot his danger ; “ I would 
give my right hand to save you, for a nobler 
creature never lived, and you are dying 
for me.” 

Could it be that the brute, seeing her min¬ 
utes were numbered, felt that she had but to 
carry him around that bend in the path to save 
him ? If she could dash beyond view of the 
Blackfeet without betraying her mortal hurt 
they would not keep up a hopeless pursuit, 
since, by the time they regained sight of the 
fugitive, he ought to be beyond reach of their 
guns. 

In all probability the pursuers, already far 
to the rear, would stop on the disappearance 
of the horse and rider and return to their 
allies near the cabin. 

The lieutenant realized this, and nothing 
could shake his belief that the last ambition 
of Kitty was to accomplish- the task ; but it 
was impossible. She labored harder than pen 
can tell, but at the moment of reaching the 
spot and about to make the turn, she sank so 
suddenly that only by great dexterity did he 
escape being caught. He had barely time to 


THE DEATH OF KITTY. 


277 


slip liis feet from the stirrups and leap off on 
the opposite side, when she fell so near the 
cliff that a few inches more would have carried 
her over. 

It was her dying act indeed, for, with a 
moan human in its depth, it all ended. With 
his heart wrung by grief at his great loss 
and the touching devotion of the animal, he 
dropped on his face to shelter himself behind 
her body, and awaited the attack of his 
enemies. 

They were so far away that he seized the 
chance to fill the empty chambers of his re¬ 
volver. 

“ Ah! if I had brought my rifle,” he mur¬ 
mured, glancing down the trail, “I could 
easily pick off both of them.” 

In the chase the Wild Cat had placed him¬ 
self several paces in advance of his companion, 
who was also running hard. On seeing the 
mare fall the leader paused and waited for the 
other to join him. They stood a minute, as if 
considering the next step to take; but they 
could not have failed to see that the officer 
was without any rifle, and was therefore pow- 


278 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

erless to injure them so long as they kept 
their distance. 

But the intervening space was within easy 
rifle range, and while halting the two pro¬ 
ceeded to reload their weapons that were dis¬ 
charged just previous to the opening of the 
race. No wonder that Lieutenant Hillson 
regretted so keenly that he had left his Win¬ 
chester behind in the hurry of his flight from 
the cabin, for no better chance could have 
offered for checking effectively the assault of 
his enemies in fair sight before him, and who 
would not have dared to advance another step. 

The afternoon was drawing to a close, and 
darkness would soon wrap mountain and 
gorge in shadow. If his assailants could be 
stood off until night he could stealthily with¬ 
draw and reach the more open country to the 
northward. There he might be able to obtain 
another horse from some of the friendly In¬ 
dians, or, failing in that, press on to Fort 
Assinaboine for help. 

Had time been at command the Wild Cat 
doubtless would have seized the animal of 
Lieutenant Palmer; but to return for him 


THE DEATH OF KITTY. 


279 


how could do no good. Though one only of 
the Black feet started on the errand, Hillson 
was not likely to stay where lie was until his 
return, and the other liorse therefore could be 
of no help under the circumstances. He was 
theirs already, and could be appropriated at 
their leisure. 

Hillson’s thoughts were busy, and more 
than one way out of his perilous situation 
suggested itself. He might leap to his feet 
and start on a run down the trail, but the act 
must be instantly perceived by his enemies, 
who were fleeter of foot than he, and would be 
at the turn before he could place himself 
beyond reach of their guns, whereas, if they 
waited until night was fully come, the chance 
of such a piece of strategy would be immeasur¬ 
ably increased. 

What he feared was that the Wild Cat and 
his companion would climb the mountain side, 
and, making their way along the precipitous 
face, get behind him. This being done, they 
could readily signal to the other warriors and 
effectually shut off all escape on his part. 

The two were still standing in the middle of 


280 


THE PATH IN THE KAVINE. 


tlie trail, after reloading their guns, as though 
undecided upon the course to follow ; but, 
while watching them, Hillson perceived that 
they had reached a decision, and were coming 
directly up the trail toward him. 


CHAPTER XXXI. 


ALONG TIIE MOUNTAIN-SIDE. 


IEUTEXANT HILLSOH crouched behind 



-Li the body of his mare with the coolness of 
a veteran campaigner of the frontier. He was 
at bay, and meant to give these dusky mis¬ 
creants the hottest kind of reception. 

It is curious how, at the most critical times, 
when it would seem that the mind has no 
room for any thoughts except those bearing 
directly upon the occasion, little incidents will 
force themselves upon one’s, consciousness. 
At the moment of getting down behind the 
strange rampart, he recalled the many times 
he had done the same when a cadet at West 
Point, undergoing his severe cavalry drill in 
the riding academy. 

This peculiar exercise was not a feature at 
that institution until 1889, but the young men 
were allowed to ride “at will,” as the expres¬ 
sion goes. At such times Hillson and a num- 


281 


282 


THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 


ber of liis classmates compelled tlieir liorses to 
lie down while they fired their revolvers over 
them. Sometimes the animals were docile, 
and sometimes they took it into their heads to 
“kick” with a vigor that made things lively 
for a time. 

All this came back to the young officer at 
this critical period in his career, and even 
caused him to smile at the recollection of 
some of the ludicrous scenes in which he had 
taken part; but the memories of those halcyon 
days could not of necessity occupy more than 
a few minutes of his time. 

The Blackfeet had not yet appeared when it 
occurred to Hillson that he had not chosen the 
best position for defence. The carcass of 
Kitty afforded at best only a poor protection 
against the bullets of his enemies. Such ram¬ 
parts sometimes do good service on the plains, 
when those assailed are provided with Win¬ 
chesters or guns possessing long range, and 
they are able to stand off their foes by keeping 
them at a distance, but at close range the rifle- 
balls are likely to bore their way through the 
breastwork and reach the men behind it. 


ALONG THE MOUNTAIN-SIDE. * 283 

“Poor Kitty,” lie murmured, “no one can 
serve a master better than you served me, for 
you have given your life, and no one can do 
more, but your service for me is ended.” 

It was this fact which caused the officer to 
decide that it was unwise to rely upon the 
body of his faithful mare as a safeguard against 
the bullets of his enemies. He believed that 
the Blackfeet would force a fight at close 
quarters, in which event, if unable to get a 
fair sight of him, they would drive their bul¬ 
lets through the warm carcass and reach him 
as he crouched behind it. 

“Good-by, once more,” he muttered, as he 
sprang to his feet and ran to the rocks project¬ 
ing from the mountain-side. Behind these he 
took refuge, with the determination that the 
contest should be fought to the end from be¬ 
hind this new and improved defence. 

“ None of the bullets can pierce this stone,” 
he reflected, as he hastily took position behind 
it; “it would be safe against a bombardment 
of artillery.” 

It was a wise move on the part of the youth 
in more than one respect. He could peer out 


284 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

and watch the movements of his enemies 
without exposing more than a part of his head 
to their missiles. Since his left hand was next 
to the mountain, his right was in proper po¬ 
sition to use to the best advantage whenever 
the vagrants attempted a move against him. 

Many a frontiersman, in a similar situation, 
has been able to hold an entire war party of 
Indians at bay. All that was needed was 
vigilance on his part, for no people are quicker 
to learn the danger to which they are exposed 
than the dusky maurauders, who prefer a 
fight in which the advantages are overwhelm¬ 
ingly on tlieir side. 

The lieutenant’s experience in frontier cam¬ 
paigning had taught him the necessity of seiz¬ 
ing his opportunities at once. The change 
decided upon was effected so quickly that 
before the warriors could sight their pieces he 
was beyond reach. They were puzzled for the 
moment by the act, which clearly gave him 
great benefit, since they might maintain a 
fusillade indefinitely without harming him, to 
accomplish which they must necessarily bring 
themselves within range of his small weapon. 


ALONG THE MOUNTAIN-SIDE. 285 

The Wild Cat, however, decided to try it. 
Standing less than a hundred yards away, he 
brought his gun to his shoulder, and, sighting 
at the bit of officer’s kepi, or forage cap, in 
view, he pulled the trigger. 

An instant previous the lieutenant drew 
back. It was fortunate he was so prompt, for 
the bullet was well aimed and chipped off a 
bit of stone in front of his eyes. He thrust 
forward his head again, but withdrew it with 
the same celerity when he perceived that the 
second Indian had raised his weapon, while the 
leader proceeded to place another cartridge in 
his own gun. 

The lieutenant waited a minute, and hearing- 
no report cautiously peeped out. The warrior 
had lowered his weapon and was watching for 
him to show himself. Before he could fire 
Hillson pointed his pistol at the couple and 
discharged three chambers. He had no expec¬ 
tation of reaching either of them at that dis¬ 
tance, and he was not disappointed, but one of 
the bullets, impinging against a rock, glanced 
onward, its form so twisted and flattened by 
the contact that it gave out an odd whistling 



286 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

noise quite trying to one’s nerves when in its 
path. 

Rather curiously the two warriors retreated 
several paces, as if startled by the singing ball, 
but they were too wise to be scared off by so 
trifling an occurrence. 

Every minute counted. Night was closing 
in so rapidly that already the figures of the 
Blackfeet assumed a shadowy appearance, and 
must soon become indistinct, if they main¬ 
tained their position. Hillson could not af¬ 
ford to wait much longer before resorting to 
his last attempt to extricate himself from his 
perilous position. 

It was evident that the discharge of the 
revolver had produced a deterrent effect on 
the Blackfeet. Though they possessed supe¬ 
rior weapons, they were deprived of their full 
advantage. To strike the youth they must 
come within reach of his revolver, which he 
was so ready to use the instant a chance pre¬ 
sented itself. But they would not have been 
worthy members of the American race had 
they retired before such difficulties. They had 
allies within call, and there were means at 


ALONG THE MOUNTAIN-SIDE. 287 

their command which they had reason to be¬ 
lieve were unsuspected by the white man. 

The latter kept close watch, believing they 
would attempt some trick before long, and 
that the only chance for him was to penetrate 
their purpose before they could carry it out. 
To his surprise he abruptly discovered that, 
instead of two warriors, there was only one in 
sight. The other had vanished unaccountably, 
and he had no possible way of learning whither 
he went. 

It might be he had stolen down the trail to 
bring more of his people to the spot, travelling 
with such swiftness that he disappeared in the 
gloom before his flight was noticed, but Hill- 
son believed he was about setting on foot the 
scheme he dreaded—that of noiselessly climb¬ 
ing the mountain side with the purpose of 
getting behind him and shutting off his flight. 

“If that’s his plan, this is no place for 
me,” was his conclusion, as he withdrew his 
head for a few moments; “ well, that is 
strange! ” 

The exclamation was uttered when he peeped 
out again and failed to see the other Indian. 




288 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

f Both liad passed out of sight like dissolving 
figures of vapor. 

• The fact confirmed his suspicions. He 
instantly fired one barrel of his pistol toward 
the point where they were last seen, his ob¬ 
ject being to convince them he was still at 
his post and on the alert. Then he started 
down the slope in the direction of the fort, 
determined that, if they were attempting to 
cut him off, they should find the task more 
difficult than they anticipated. 

Had he continued his flight he would have 
eluded his enemies easily, for remarkable as 
was their skill in making their way over pre¬ 
cipitous ground, it could not equal his speed 
along the comparatively level mountain trail 
below, but, like his army friends, he was 
actuated by a chivalry which led him always 
to place the welfare of others before his own. 

He was convinced that the loss of his mare 
had destroyed the scheme he had in mind 
when he fled in such hot haste from the cabin. 
Mounted on his fleet animal he would have 
reached the fort before midnight, while he 
v T ould be unable to cover the distance on foot 


ALONG THE MOUNTAIN-SIDE. 289 

before the following day was well advanced. 
At the best, help could not reach his friends 
before afternoon. It seemed to him, there¬ 
fore, a waste of effort to push on alone, when 
by remaining in the neighborhood he might be 
able to give aid to his friends. 

Subsequent events proved that Lieutenant 
Hillson committed a grave mistake in acting 
upon this theory, for had he pressed toward 
the fort he could have reached a point of com¬ 
parative safety in the course of a couple of 
hours. Not only that, but three other mem¬ 
bers of his command, who were out on a hunt, 
had gone into camp where he was almost 
certain of coming upon them. Of this, how¬ 
ever, he could have no knowledge; but his 
absence would have made the Wild Cat fear 
the authorities were about to learn the truth, 
and he was sure to pause before inviting their 
certain vengeance. 

From this it is also manifest that, although 
our friends had performed more than one 
brilliant deed, there were other errors made. 
Had Mr. Kainsford and Lieutenant Palmer 
been content to stay in the cabin, they could 
19 


290 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

have maintained themselves against their as¬ 
sailants for twenty-four hours at least, while 
the absence of one of them, as we have ex¬ 
plained, would have prevented the Wild Cat 
from pressing the siege further than that, if, 
indeed, he dared to maintain it that long. 

The clever exploit of Hillson gave the whites 
an immeasurable advantage which should have 
been pushed vigorously to the end, by the 
continued flight of the lieutenant, while the 
others should have stayed in the cabin and 
awaited the development of events. Instead 
of that, they ventured out, and both, including 
little Bessie, were made captives by the va¬ 
grants whom they were trying to avoid. 

Hillson decided to hasten down the slope 
until beyond the point where the Blackfeet 
were likely to take the trail, and then Avait 
in the hope that some way would open for 
helping his friends. 

It was perhaps an eighth of a mile from the 
abrujjt turn in the path, which had been the 
scene of so many stirring incidents, that he 
came to a stop under the shelter of some of 
the rocks which were so abundant everyAvhere, 


ALONG THE MOUNTAIN-SIDE. 


291 


feeling little fear of being noticed by anyone 
in passing; unless special attention drew liim 
to the spot. 

“I can afford to wait a while, and, if those 
fellows do not show up, it will be safe to con¬ 
clude they have gone back to rejoin the rest, 
and I shall have nothing to fear if I-” 

The thought had hardly shaped itself when 
he was startled by a rattling on the mountain¬ 
side above his head. The noise was such as 
might have been made by the passage of an 
animal, or possibly the accidental loosening of 
some stone. That the latter was the cause was 
proven the next minute, when a bit of rock 
the size of his hand shot over his head, and, 
striking the ground with considerable force, 
bounded across the ledge into the gorge 
beyond. 


CHAPTER XXXII. 


UP THE TRAIL. 

H ILLSON just then was standing so close 
to the mass of rocks that the missile 
cleared his crown by several feet, though it 
might have struck him had he been walking. 
The incident was something to cause misgiv¬ 
ing, but it had hardly taken place when he 
heard voices so near that he dared not move. 
The words were in the Blackfeet lingo, so that 
their meaning was unknown, but he correctly 
guessed the significance of the occurrence. 

The Wild Cat and his companion had done 
what he dreaded. They had climbed the 
mountain-side above the trail, and, by a cir¬ 
cuitous and laborious course, returned to the 
path, considerably beyond the point where for 
a time he held them at bay with his revolver. 

The most surprising fact about this piece of 
strategy was that they went so far below the 
turn before coming back to the trail. Why 

292 


UP THE TRAIL. 


293 


they did this surpassed the conjecture of the 
lieutenant, but the result placed him in a more 
delicately dangerous situation than ever. 

Within thirty seconds of the fall of the stone 
the Wild Cat imitated it, except that he halted 
in the trail instead of bounding over into the 
ravine, but it gave the lieutenant a shock 
when the shadowy figure of one of the warriors 
passed lightly over his head, immediately fol¬ 
lowed by the other. It was an experience that 
comes to few people, though it is not strictly 
correct to say that the Blackfeet leaped 
directly over his head; they were slightly to 
the left—that is, a little nearer the angle in 
the trail than he stood. 

His position placed his back against the flat 
face of the rock, and it seemed to him that he 
pressed it hard enough to cause a goodly in¬ 
dentation. He would have been glad to push 
himself out of sight within its solid substance. 

It was fully night, and there was no moon. v 
He was enclosed in such deep shadow that he 
was hopeful of not being seen unless the war¬ 
riors chanced to come nearer, but it was neces¬ 
sary to remain silent and motionless. 


294 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

It must not be supposed that Lieutenant 
Hillson had any thought of submitting in the 
event of detection. The instant his presence 
became known the revolver would be called 
into play, and he was sure to give a good 
account of himself. It may as well be ad¬ 
mitted that he was on the point several times 
of opening the fight; for, if anxious to serve 
his friends, how better could he do so than by 
the extinguishment of the leader and one of 
the principal warriors ? 

Could he have been certain of making his 
way up the trail to where he had left the horse 
of his friend, and of finding the steed there, 
Hillson would have opened the struggle in 
hurricane style and ended it in a twinkling, 
but to do that was to bank upon too small a 
capital, so to speak, and, fortunately for him¬ 
self, he decided to preserve an armed neutrality 
as long as possible. 

The Blackfeet stood for several minutes talk¬ 
ing in their characteristic fashion, and then one 
of them—not the Wild Cat—started on a lope 
up the trail. The leader remained where he 
assumed position after vaulting over the lieu- 


UP THE TRAIL. 


295 


tenant’s liead, as if awaiting the return of the 
other, or some message from him. 

The dim figure was outlined so clearly in the 
gloom that Hillson could tell when his face, 
his side, or his back was turned toward him, 
and it need not be said that he watched him 
with intense attention. The moment his com¬ 
panion left him the Wild Cat faced that way, 
and gazed after him for a few moments after 
he vanished in the darkness. Then he shifted 
about so as to look down the trail in the other 
direction. 

The stillness was so absolute that the youth 
heard the soft rustling of his moccasons as he 
gently moved them over the ground. Then lie 
coughed slightly and cleared his throat, just 
like a white man, and taking a couple of steps, 
stopped again, his black eyes doubtless search¬ 
ing the gloom, while he listened for sounds 
that would tell him of the flight of the officer 
who had held him and his associate at bay 
with but a single small fire-arm. 

The change of position brought the Wild 
Cat almost opposite Hillson, who was sure 
detection could not be postponed many seconds 


296 THE PATH IN THE KAVINE. 

longer. He noted the untidy blanket secured 
around the shoulders of the warrior, his long, 
coarse hair, the lower part of his leggings, and 
the rifle held in his right hand. Once, when 
he made a partial turn of his head, the officer 
fancied he detected the Roman nose and re¬ 
treating chin, though the darkness did not 
permit a sight of the paint, and it is doubtful 
whether the features were seen at all. 

Justice to Lieutenant Hillson compels us to 
say he was troubled by nothing in the way of 
fear. He had made a prisoner of this individ¬ 
ual earlier in the day, and there was no cause 
to hold him in dread in the present turn of 
affairs. 

In fact the young officer was seriously con¬ 
sidering the question of taking him captive 
again. He had no doubt of his ability to do 
so, and with the Wild Cat held as a hostage, 
to be given in exchange for the safety of those 
within the cabin, it may be said that Hillson 
would have commanded the situation. 

The idea was excellent, but there were a 
number of practical difficulties in the way 
which might well cause hesitation. He was 


UP THE TRAIL. 


297 


afraid the prisoner would prove hard to handle, 
and when the moment came to deliver him 
into the custody of his people, Hillson was 
likely to find himself obliged to keep him 
company. In other words, being without a 
secure place in which to hold him, pending 
negotiations, the result was likely to be more 
disastrous to the originator of the enterprise 
than to anyone else concerned. 

The lieutenant had not yet reached a deci¬ 
sion when a cry like the dismal hoot of an 
owl came from some point above, and the 
Wild Cat, with an exclamation, broke into a 
trot up the path, almost instantly disappear¬ 
ing in the gloom. What the exclamation 
meant the only listener was unable to declare, 
but he was quite sure its English equivalent 
was an expression of disgust and anger. 

“He sent the warrior to the bend to see 
whether I was there ; finding I am not, he has 
signalled the fact to his leader, wdio sees no 
call to linger in this vicinity.” 

It would seem that the Wild Cat could not 
avoid the conclusion that Hillson had effected 
his escape and was beyond reach, and such 


298 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

being the case, lie would make no further 
attempt to overhaul him, accepting what had 
been hitherto done as a failure in every sense 
of the word. 

“His belief that I am on my way to Fort 
Assinaboine,” thought the lieutenant, “is as 
effective for present purposes as though I 
were. It secures me against officious curiosity 
as long as I use prudence, and increases my 
prospect of doing something for my friends 
below.” 

This theory sounded logical, but unfortu¬ 
nately the premises were wrong. It was un¬ 
reasonable to suppose that he could establish 
any understanding with those in the cabin 
without betraying himself to their enemies. 
Furthermore, as the reader knows, there was 
no one in the dwelling, and consequently Lieu¬ 
tenant Hillson was all at sea. 

It was not likely that the Wild Cat or his 
companion would stay at the bend, but he 
waited a considerable time before venturing 
in that direction, peering as best he could into 
the gloom, and often pausing to listen for 
the sounds which in the profound stillness 


UP THE TRAIL. 


299 


could be heard at a much greater distance than 
“would be supposed. 

“I don’t think they will wait there, when 
they must know I would be on the watch for 
them-” 

The thought had hardly taken shape in his 
mind when he suddenly checked himself, 
convinced that he had escaped, by the narrow¬ 
est conceivable chance, walking into a trap 
that had been set for him. 

Close against the mountain wall along which 
he was making his cautious advance, he de¬ 
tected the outlines of a man, evidently the 
Wild Cat or his comrade. Whichever it might 
be, the other was sure to be at hand ready and 
eager to take part in assailing him. 

The officer hesitated for a minute or two as 
to the best course he should take. It would 
seem that really there was but the one thing 
to do, and that was to withdraw without an 
instant’s delay. He had striven hard and 
shown great cleverness in “holding off” his 
enemies—that is, he had prevented anything 
in the nature of a hand-to-hand encounter 
between them and himself. To advance at 


300 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

this time was to invite the very thing which 
he had striven with such success to avoid. 

But a daring project had taken shape in 
the brain of the lieutenant, being nothing less 
than an attempt to bring down both of his foes, 
and thus clear his path in the most effectual 
manner of the vagrants whose taking off would 
be a blessing in every sense. 

His plan was to steal forward as though he 
did not see the motionless figure so close to 
the mountain wall. The Indian would natur¬ 
ally wait until he was within certain reach 
before bringing him down. Hillson, having 
thrown him off his guard, would be on the 
watch for such demonstration, and would an¬ 
ticipate it by making a lightning-like assault 
himself. 

It will be understood that the point of this 
strategy was that it would bring the lieutenant 
so near that when he raised his revolver and 
fired there would be no possibility of missing. 
In other words, it would give him the drop on 
the other fellow. 

But the imminent peril lay in the probabil¬ 
ity that the Blackfoot would not await the 


UP THE TRAIL. 


301 


officer’s convenience before opening his bat¬ 
teries. As likely as not he would start tilings 
moving before Ilillson was ready. The gloom 
would permit him to move his arms without 
being perceived in time to be thwarted. 

All this was on the theory that the In¬ 
dian was deceived by the pretence of the 
officer; but suppose, what was likely, the 
shrewd scamp penetrated his design, what 
then \ 

Nevertheless, Lieutenant Hillson determined 
to make the rash attempt. Revolver in hand, 
he moved stealthily forward until close upon 
his foe, and about ready for the daring attempt, 
when he once more stopped, and with a smile 
gave expression to the exclamation : 

“Well, I’ll be hanged!” 

It was neither the Wild Cat nor his com¬ 
panion, but a portion of the rocks themselves, 
which under his active imagination had taken 
upon itself the form of an Indian warrior 
waiting for him to come within reach of his 
vengeance. 

Encouraged by the circumstance, Hillson 
pushed forward to the spot with less liesi- 


302 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

tation than he had yet shown, and arrived 
without seeing or hearing anything of the 
red men. 

It had been his intention to remove the sad¬ 
dle and bridle from the body of Kitty and to 
hide them among the rocks until he could take 
them away. The hurry of his flight had pre¬ 
vented his doing this before. 

But on searching for the remains of the ani¬ 
mal they could not be found. Carcass as well 
as trappings were gone, and it was easy to 
guess the explanation. 

The Wild Cat had appropriated the latter, 
after which, with little effort, he rolled the 
body over the precipice to follow that of the 
buck. Hillson remembered hearing a peculiar 
rustling and crashing which could have been 
well caused by such a proceeding on the part 
of the dusky miscreant. 

The lieutenant approached the edge of the 
ravine and looked longingly down in the 
gloom. The darkness was too deep to permit 
him to distinguish anything, and as he turned 
away he heaved a sigh to the memory of his 
faithful beast. 


UP THE TRAIL. 


303 


He had set out to aid his friends in whatever 
way might present itself, and he now resumed 
his guarded advance along the mountain trail, 
little dreaming that the most trying experience 
of all awaited him. 


CHAPTER XXXIII. 


“good-by! ” 


T HERE were seven of tlie Blackfeet va¬ 
grants gathered round the fire to which 
Lieutenant Palmer was conducted, and where 
he had stood only a few minutes when Mr. 
Rainsford and his little Bessie were brought 
upon their horse, which was led by another of 
the red men, who had three companions. 

It was a painful shock to the young officer, 
who, though overtaken by misfortune himself, 
was confident until then that it had gone well 
with the others. But here they were, with 
only Lieutenant Hillson unaccounted for, and, 
now the dispirited Palmer began to fear the 
worst for him. 

“We made a great mistake,” remarked 
Mr. Rainsford, “ for we ought to have stayed 
in the house where we were safe for a time at 
least.” 

He had dismounted and lifted Bessie down. 


“ GOOD-BY! ” 


305 


The lieutenant walked forward and took his 
hand, after which he leaned over and kissed 
the child, who was quite bewildered by the 
turn affairs had taken. 

The Blackfeefc showed no disposition to 
molest them further than to take good care to 
prevent any escape on their part. They had 
disarmed both men, and so placed themselves 
that the latter were shut off from any attempt 
at flight. The only way open led to the 
mountain trail, and it will be understood that 
neither thought of a dash in that direction. 
They could not have been more secure had 
they been locked within the granite walls of a 
penitentiary. 

“ I heard your call,” said Mr. Rainsford, 
after the lieutenant had briefly related the 
particulars of his mishap, “ and managed to 
reach the main trail, but they were right on 
our heels. Before I could vault into the 
saddle with Bessie, she was snatched from me 
and my gun was knocked from my grasp by 
one of the neatest tricks you ever saw. I did 
not believe it possible the thing could be done 
so cleverly. Still, you may be sure I would 
20 


306 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

have made a fight but for the certain conse¬ 
quences to her. The warrior who held her 
told me in broken English that if I would sur¬ 
render she should not be hurt, but if I did not 
they would dash out her brains. Little reli¬ 
ance is to be placed on the pledges of these 
people, but the risk was too dreadful to be 
contemplated, and I gave up. They allowed 
me to mount and hold Bessie in front, but one 
of them took Saladin’s bit and started in the 
other direction along the trail. They went a 
considerable distance, when, from some cause, 
they wheeled about, and here we are.” 

“There are many things about this business 
which I do not understand,” said the lieuten¬ 
ant; “there has been a good deal of firing, 
but none of us has been hurt, unless it is Hill- 
son. Why didn’t they finish me when they 
had me on my back, and why didn’t they 
shoot you and Bessie instead of bringing you 
in prisoners ? ’ ’ 

“ The Wild Cat is their leader, and no doubt 
they are following his orders.” 

“But why should he give such orders? 
What can he wish to do with a party like us ? ” 


“GOOD-BY !” 


307 


“He may want to hold us as hostages in 
order to make terms with the authorities.” 

The lieutenant shook his head. To him the 
theory was untenable. 

“The only explanation that occurs to me,” 
he said, after a minute’s thought, “is that 
which we have discussed before. The Wild 
Cat desires to put us all out of the way, but is 
afraid his crime would become known, and he 
would be hunted down, unless he can destroy 
us all so absolutely that no trace will be left 
to tell the tale. If he can bring in Hillson the 
conditions will be just what he is trying so 
hard to make them, for then he will have free 
rope and need not fear punishment.” 

“Then we are already doomed.” 

“ Why do you say that ? ” 

“Look behind you.” 

The lieutenant’s back was toward the trail 
as he faced Mr. Rainsford, who was looking 
the opposite way. Palmer turned like a flash 
at the words, and saw two warriors, one of 
whom was the Wild Cat, approaching the 
camp with Lieutenant Hillson between them. 

The latter, in playing his game against the 


308 


THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 


Blackfeet, had taken desperate chances. He 
acquitted himself admirably more than once, 
but he prolonged the contest with the experts 
in treachery, with the result that he was out¬ 
witted at last. 

It was the hope of helping his friends that 
led him to steal along the mountain trail 
toward the scene of the trouble, instead of 
hurrying off for help. He proceeded with the 
utmost caution, and walked directly into the 
trap set for him. He was pounced upon and 
disarmed before he could help himself, and 
thus it came about that every one of the party 
fell into the power of the Wild Cat, and the 
hopeless condition spoken of by Lieutenant 
Palmer became a reality. 

Lieutenant Hillson smiled sadly as he caught 
sight of his friends, and shook his head, like 
one who realized the woful blunder he had 
made. He looked at the Wild Cat as if to 
ask his permission to join the others, but the 
leader gave no sign, and he walked forward to 
where they were standing. 

The conversation, as may be supposed, was 
of anything but a cheerful nature. The scene 


“ GOOD-BY !” 


309 


became a striking one. In the open space, at 
one side of the mountain trail, was burning 
a fire which illuminated the broad level 
area, enclosed on all sides but one by stone 
walls, too precipitous to be scaled by man or 
animal. 

Two horses, saddled and bridled, stood close 
to the rocks on one side of the blaze, while, 
with the exception of three of the Blackfeet, 
the warriors assumed all manner of indifferent 
and indolent attitudes. 

Four were smoking, one was stretched full 
length on the ground, seemingly interested 
in the fire, two were examining the horses and 
equipments, as if pleased with the prizes 
whose ownership they envied, while a charac¬ 
teristic jerking conversation engaged at times 
nearly all of them. 

On the broad, flat bowlder, placed opposite 
the animals and near enough to the blaze to feel 
the ruddy warmth, were seated the Wild Cat 
and two companions, evidently his favorite 
warriors. One was smoking, and all were 
talking in low tones, accompanied by frequent 
glances at the whites. There could be little 


810 THE PATH IH THE KAVINE. 

doubt they were discussing the disposition to 
be made of them. 

Mr. Rainsford and the two officers stood 
facing each other as nearly as that could be 
done, and so close together that their voices 
rose hardly above a whisper, for they now 
used English instead of Spanish. The still¬ 
ness, with the slight interruptions named, was 
profound. The young men held their arms 
folded, and in the glow of the firelight looked 
strikingly manly and attractive. Both had 
made a gallant fight, but fortune at last turned 
against them. 

As Mr. Rainsford looked from face to face 
he held the hand of Bessie clasped in one of 
his own. He had asked her to rest herself by 
sitting on the ground, but she preferred to 
keep her feet, and looked wonderingly from 
one to the other, perhaps with a clearer idea 
of the situation than any suspected. 

“I believe as you do,” said Hillson to 
Palmer, after the latter had repeated his belief 
that the Wild Cat was only awaiting the capt¬ 
ure of the entire party before putting them to 
death ; “so long as he feared that one of us 


“ good-by ! ” 


311 


had got away he did not dare take the risk, 
but now there is nothing to restrain him.” 

“We shall be missed in time,” remarked 
his friend, “and the colonel will have search 
made for us; perhaps, too, it will become 
known that we have fallen victims to the 
vagrant Indians, but as to wdio our slayers 
were-” 

He finished the remark by a shrug of the 
shoulders and a shake of the head. The three 
men could discuss their own awful fate thus 
coolly, but they forgot that young as was the 
child that glanced so silently from one to the 
other, as tliese fearful w T ords were uttered, she 
comprehended their meaning. 

The three Blackfeet sitting on the bowlder 
near the blaze were in a row, the Wild Cat being 
at the farther end, where he was only partly vis¬ 
ible to the prisoners. Bessie, as if wearied with 
listening to her friends, turned her attention 
to the group. Just then the leader leaned 
forward, and, grasping a piece of wood at his 
feet, gave it a slight toss on the fire. As he 
did so the glare lit up his countenance—the 
dangling hair, the Roman nose, the retreating 


312 


THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 


cliin, and the daubs of paint being as vividly 
seen as if the sun were at meridian. 

“Why, there’s the Wild Cat!” exclaimed 
the child, as if §he had not noticed him until 
that moment, and before her father read her 
purpose she slipped her hand from his, ran 
between the knees of the leader, and looking 
unto his face with her winsome smile she 
asked: 

“ Why didn’t you speak to me before ? ” 

The savage, with a forbidding scowl, pushed 
her from him. 

“Go way—don’t want.” 

“But I want to talk with you” and with 
childish persistency she forced her way to her 
former position. He made as if to thrust her 
from him again, but the effort was weaker than 
before, and she would not be denied. In a 
twinkling she was on one of the brawny knees, 
and with the same innocent expression placed 
one of her dimpled arms around the dusky 
shoulder and said: 

“ What a funny name your little girl 
has ! I can’t think of it. What did you 
say it is?” 


“ good-by! ” 


813 


“ Aff-to-wa.” 

“ Won’t you bring her to see me? I want 
to play with her. I haven’t any little girls to 
play with, and I get so lonely.” 

The warrior made no further effort to drive 
her from him, while his immediate companions 
looked on in silent amazement. Indeed, all 
the Blackfeet were gazing at the extraordinary 
scene, while the three prisoners, faced that 
way, held their peace and wondered what the 
outcome would be. Had the Wild Cat offered 
the prattling child any harm, every one, 
though unarmed, would have sprung upon 
him, but they awaited the issue of one of 
the most remarkable situations that can be 
conceived. 

With her hand resting on the shoulder of 
the vagrant, Bessie pushed aside the coarse, 
dangling hair, a portion of which lay on his 
chest, and it seemed that her tongue could 
never be still. 

“We are going a long way,” she said, “but 
you must bring Aff-to-wa to see me. I will let 
her play with my dolls, and I’ve got areal nice 
one that I will give her, and she can stay, oh! 


314 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

the longest time with me ; and when you come 
to take her away you can stay a long time, 
too. Do you like dolls?” 

The painted countenance, so close to her 
own, remained as immobile as the face of a 
stone image. 

“I guess you’re too big to play with dolls, 
but papa loves everybody that loves me, and 
he will give you lots of nice things, so you must 
come ; won’t you ? ” 

Still the iron features gave no sign. See¬ 
ing that he did not mean to speak, Bessie 
continued: 

“Do you want me to kiss you?” 

The Wild Cat nodded his head, and the 
spectators were dumfounded when the child 
touched her mouth to the coppery lips of the 
savage. Those who looked closely at the 
dusky arm that hitherto had only half enclosed 
the tiny figure saw it draw closer, and he held 
her for a moment just as any affectionate 
parent might clasp a cherished child to his 
heart. 

Only for a moment, however, when he re¬ 
leased her, and she sat back on his knee, her 


“ good-by! ” 


315 


countenance aglow with happiness, while she 
still looked at the features, seeing a beauty 
visible only to one of her pure and spotless 
nature. 

“You haven’t told me whether Aff-to-wa is 
coming to see me when I get home to St. 
Paul.” 

“She come,” replied the Wild Cat, nod¬ 
ding his head several times, as if to make 
up for his former refusal to answer her 
questions. 

“I am so glad,” said the delighted child; 
“ I will send Peggy to her.” 

Running to her parent, she made a demand 
for her pet doll, which was under his special 
care. With a smile he produced the some¬ 
what dilapidated plaything from within his 
coat, where he had hoped to preserve it for 
her against a happy deliverance out of their 
troubles. 

“ She is yours, Bessie ; do what you please 
with her.” 

Hurrying back to the Blackfoot, she pressed 
the precious pet upon him. The iron features 
relaxed as he curiously surveyed the gift, and 


316 THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 

he made as if to return it, but she persisted, 
and who shall measure the grief of that little 
heart on parting company with that which 
could not have been dearer had it possessed, 
life and being! 

“Tell Aff-to-wa that Bessie Rainsford sent 
it to her, and you have promised, to come and 
see me at St. Paul, .and now Wild Cat,—that 
isn’t a very nice name,—we will have to leave 
you.” 

She slid off his knee to the ground, and at 
the same moment the Indian stood up and said 
something to his companions. They stared, 
as if doubting his meaning, whereupon he 
repeated the words so angrily that they 
bounded to their feet. He could be as harsh 
as death to his friends as to his enemies. 

Still holding the hand of the child, the 
Wild Cat walked around the fire to where the 
horse of Mr. Rainsford was nibbling at the few 
scant blades of grass growing near, and taking 
hold of the bridle, led him to the group of 
prisoners. Then, fixing his black eyes upon 
the owner, he said: 

“You ride him—you go.” 


“ GOOD-BY ! ” 


317 


The hunter was too wise to show his surprise 
or to hesitate, for at this point everything 
depended on promptly accepting the extraor¬ 
dinary offer of the Blackfoot. He was acting 
under the impulse of such an unwonted emotion 
that it was not likely to last. Mr. Rainsford 
placed his foot in the stirrup and swung him¬ 
self into the saddle. It was the Wild Cat 
himself who handed the child to him, and he 
set her in front, where he was accustomed to 
hold her when travelling. 

The leader spoke sharply to one of his men, 
who quickly led the other steed to the spot 
without a word of protest. 

“ You ride—you go,” he said, addressing 
Palmer, who whispered to Hillson at the 
moment of mounting: 

“ Get up behind me ; it won’t do to wait a 
moment.” 

The young officer saw the situation, and, 
with slight assistance from his friend, bestrode 
the horse behind him. The Wild Cat spoke 
brusquely again, and each man received back 
his fire-arms. 

All were now mounted, with the heads of 


818 


THE PATH IN THE RAVINE. 


the animals pointed toward the mountain trail. 
The situation was unparalleled, and the hearts 
of our friends throbbed painfully. They feared 
every moment that the Wild Cat would become 
ashamed of the weakness that impelled him to 
the step and break forth into greater fury 
than before ; but they had their weapons now 
in their hands, and the instant result of such 
a reversal of sentiment would be a fight to the 
bitter end. 

The Wild Cat was standing in front of the 
horsemen, as if undecided whether to step 
aside, when Bessie, from her father’s arms, 
said : 

“ Well, Wild Cat, good-by ! ” 

She leaned as far over as she could, and the 
dusky vagrant, without a moment’s hesitation, 
met her, and once more, and for the last time, 
the kiss was given and taken. 

“Don’t forget to bring Aff-to-wa to see 
me.” 

By a common instinct Mr. Bainsford and 
the two officers raised their hats in saluta¬ 
tion, not only to the Wild Cat, who now 
moved aside, but to the other warriors that 


“ GOOD-BY ! ” 


319 


were silently gazing at the most remarkable 
scene they had ever witnessed, and then 
they rode out on the mountain in the dark¬ 
ness and headed northward toward Fort 
Assinaboine. 


THE END. 


Number 3 of the Forest and Pairie Series will be Cowmen 
and Rustlers , a story of the Wyoming cattle ranges in 
1892. 






The 

Famous 

Castlemon 

Books. 

BY 

Harry 

Castlemon. 



Specimen Cover of the Gunboat 
Series. 


No author of the present day has become a greater favorite with boys than 
“Harry Castlemon; ” every book by him is sure to meet with hearty re¬ 
ception by young readers generally. H.s naturalness and vivacity lead his 
readers from page to page with breathless interest, and when one volume is 
finished the fascinated reader, like Oliver Twist, asks “ for more.” 

*** Any volume sold separately. 


GUNBOAT SERIES. By Harry Castlemon. 6 
vols., i2mo. Fully illustrated. Cloth, extra, printed 


in colors. In box... $7 5 ° 

Prank, the Young Naturalist . . . i 25 

Prank in the Woods. 1 25 

Frank on the Prairie. 1 25 

Prank on a Gunboat.. 1 25 

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Prank on the Lower Mississippi. 12 $ 




















































2 PORTER & COATES’S POPULAR JUVENILES, 

GO AHEAD SERIES. By Harry Castlemon. 3 
vols., i2mo. Fully illustrated. Cloth, extra, printed 


in colors. In box.$3 75 

Go Ahead ; or, The Fisher Boy’s Motto. 1 25 

No Moss; or, The Career of a Rolling Stone .... I 25 

Tom Newcombe ; or, The Boy of Bad Habits . . 1 25 

ROCKY MOUNTAIN SERIES. By Harry 
Castlemon. 3 vols., i2mo. Fully illustrated. Cloth, 
extra, printed in colors. In box . ..J *3 75 

Frank at Don Carlos’ Rancho. 1 25 


Frank among the Rancheros. 1 25 

Frank in the Mountains. 1 25 

SPORTSMAN’S CLUB SERIES. By Harry 
Castlemon. 3 vols., i2mo. Fully illustrated. Cloth, 

E extra, printed in colors. In box. $3 75 

The Sportsman’s Club in the Saddle .... 1 25 

The Sportsman’s Club Afloat. 1 25 

The Sportsman's Club among the Trappers . 1 25 

FRANK NELSON SERIES. By Harry Castle¬ 
mon. 3 vols. 12mo. Fully illustrated. Cloth, extra, 
printed in colors. In box.$3 75 

Snowed Up ; or, The Sportsman’s Club in the Mts. . 1 25 

Frank Nelson in the Forecastle ; or, The Sports¬ 
man’s Club among the Whalers. 1 25 

The Boy Traders ; or, The Sportsman’s Club among 
the Boers. I 25 

BOY TRAPPER SERIES. By Harry Castlemon. 

3 vols., i2mo. Fully illustrated. Cloth, extra, printed 
in colors. In box.$3 75 

The Buried Treasure ; or, Old Jordan’s “ Haunt ” 1 25 

The Boy Trapper ; or, How Dave Filled the Order. 1 25 

The Mail Carrier. 1 25 


' 














PORTER & COATES’S POPULAR JUVENILES. J 

ROUGHING IT SERIES. By Harry Castlemon. 

3 vols., i2mo. Fully illustrated. Cloth, extra,printed 
in colors. In box. . #3 75 

George in Camp ; or, Life on the Plains. I 25 

George at the Wheel; or, Life in a Pilot House . 1 25 

George at the Fort; or, Life Among the Soldiers . 1 25 

ROD AND GUN SERIES. By Harry Castlemon. 

3 vols., i2mo. Fully illustrated. Cloth, extra, printed 
in colors. In box. 3 75 

Don Gordon’s Shooting Box. 1 25 

Rod and Gun. 1 25 

The Young Wild Fowlers. 1 25 

FOREST AND STREAM SERIES. By Harry 

Castlemon. 3 vols., i2mo. Fully illustrated. Cloth, 
extra, printed in colors. In box. 3 75 

Joe Wayring at Home; or, Story of a Fly Rod . 1 25 

Snagged and Sunk ; or, The Adventures of a Can¬ 
vas Canoe .. I 25 

Steel Horse; or, The Rambles of a Bicycle .... 1 25 

WAR SERIES. By Harry Castlemon. 4 vols., 
i2mo. Fully illustrated. Cloth, extra, printed in 
colors. In box. 5 00 

True to his Colors. 1 25 

Rodney, the Partisan. 1 25 

Marcy, the Blockade Runner ........ 1 25 

Marcy, the Refugee. 1 25 

OUR FELLOWS; or, Skirmishes with the Swamp 
Dragoons. By Harry Castlemon. i6mo. Fully illus¬ 
trated. Cloth, extra.. . I 25 
















Alger’s 

Renowned 

Books, 

BY 

Horatio 
Alger, Jr. 



Specimen Cover of the Ragged 
Dick Series. 


Horatio Alger, Jr., has attained distinction as one of the most popular 
writers of books for boys, and the following list comprises all of his best 
books. 

*** Any volume sold separately. 


RAGGED DICK SERIES. By Horatio Alger, 

Jr. 6 vols., i2mo. Fully illustrated. Cloth, extra, 
printed in colors. In box. $7 5 ° 


Ragged Dick ; or, Street Life in New York .... 

Fame and Fortune ; or, The Progress of Richard 
Hunter. > . 

Mark, the Match Boy ; or, Richard Hunter’s Ward 


Rough and Ready ; or, Life among the New York 
Newsboys .. 

Ben, the Luggage Boy ; or. Among the Wharves . 

Rufus and Rose ; or, the Fortunes of Rough and 
Ready . .. 


MATTERED TOM SERIES. (First Series. 
By Horatio Alger, Jr. 4 vols., i2mo. Fully illus 
trated. Cloth, extra, printed in colors. In box 


( 4 ) 


1 25 

1 25 
* 25 

1 25 
1 25 

1 25 

5 00 


t • • 







































porter * coates’s popular juveniles. 5 

Tattered Tom ; or, The Story of a Street Arab . . 1 25 

Paul, the Peddler; or. The Adventures of a Young 

Street Merchant. I 25 

Phil, the Fiddler; or, The Young Street Musician . 1 25 

Slow and Sure; or, From the Sidewalk to the Shop 1 25 

TATTERED TOM SERIES. (Second Series.) 

4 vols., i2mo. Fully illustrated. Cloth, extra, printed 
in colors. In box.$5 00 

Julius; or the Street Boy Out West. x 25 

The Young Outlaw ; or. Adrift in the World ... 1 25 

Sam’s Chance and How He Improved it. . . 1 25 

The Telegraph Boy. . . 1 25 

LUCK AND PLUCK SERIES. (First Series.) 

By Horatio Alger, Jr. 4 vols., i2mo. Fully illus¬ 
trated. Cloth, extra, printed in colors. In box ... $5 00 

Luck and Pluck; or John Oakley’s Inheritance . . 1 25 

Sink or Swim ; or, Harry Raymond’s Resolve ... 1 25 

Strong and Steady ; or, Paddle Your Own Canoe . 1 25 

Strive and Succeed; or, The Progress of Walter 


Conrad. I 25 

LUCK AND PLUCK SERIES. (Second 
Series.) By Horatio Alger, Jr. 3 vols., i 2 mo. 

Fully illustrated. Cloth, extra, printed in colors. In 
box.£5 00 

Try and Trust ; or, The Story of a Bound Boy ... 1 25 

Bound to Rise ; or Harry Walton’s Motto. 1 25 


Risen from the Ranks ; or, Harry Walton’s Success 1 25 

Herbert Carter’s Legacy ; or, The Inventor’s Son . j 25 

CAMPAIGN SERIES. By Horatio Alger, Jr. 3 
vols., i2mo. Fully illustrated. Cloth, extra, printed 


in colors. In box.$3 75 

Prank’s Campaign ; or, The Farm and the Camp . 1 25 

Paul Prescott’s Charge.. 1 25 

Charlie Codman’s Cruise ........... x 25 












6 


PORTER & COATES’S POPULAR JUVENILES. 


BRAVE AND BOLD SERIES. By Horatio 
Alger, Jr. 4 vols., i2mo. Fully illustrated. Cloth, 
extra, printed in colors. In box. $$ OO 

Brave and Bold; or, The Story of a Factory Boy , . 1 25 

Tack’s Ward; or, The Boy Guardian. 1 25 

Shifting for Himself; or, Gilbert Greyson’s For¬ 
tunes . 1 25 

Wait and Hope ; or, Ben Bradford’s Motto .... 1 25 

PACIFIC SERIES. By Horatio Alger, Jr. 4 
vols., i2mo. Fully illustrated. Cloth, extra, printed 
in colors. In box. $5 00 

The Young Adventurer; or, Tom’s Trip Across 
the Plains. 125 

The Young Miner; or, Tom Nelson in California . 1 25 

The Young Explorer ; or, Among the Sierras . . 1 25 

Ben’s Nugget; or, A Boy’s Search for Fortune. A 

Story of the Pacific Coast. 1 25 

ATLANTIC SERIES. By Horatio Alger, Jr. 4 
vols., i2mo. Fully illustrated. Cloth, extra, printed 
in colors. In box.^5 00 

The Young Circus Rider; or, The Mystery of 

Robert Rudd. 1 25 

Do and Dare ; or, A Brave Boy’s Fight for Fortune . 1 25 

Hector’s Inheritance ; or. Boys of Smith Institute . 1 25 

Helping Himself; or, Grant Thornton’s Ambition . 1 25 

WAY TO SUCCESS SERIES. By Horatio 
Alger, Jr. 4 vols., i2mo. Fully illustrated. Cloth, 
extra, printed in colors. In box.^5 00 

Bob Burton. I 25 

The Store Boy. 1 25 

Luke Walton. 1 25 

Struggling Upward. 1 25 

New Book by Alger. 

DIGGING FOR GOLD. By Horatio Alger, Jr. 
Illustrated 12mo. Cloth, black, red and gold . . . I 25 

















A 

New Series 
of Books. 


Indian Life 
and 

Character 
Founded on 
Historical 
Facts. 



Specimen Cover of the Wyoming 
Series. 


By Edward S. Ellis. 

*** Any volume sold separately. 


BOY PIONEER SERIES. By Edward S. Ellis. 
3 vols., i2mo. Fully illustrated. Cloth, extra, printed 


in colors. In box.$3 75 

Ned in the Block House ; or, Life on the Frontier. 1 25 
Ned in the Woods. A Tale of the Early Days in 

the West. 1 25 

Ned on the River. 1 25 

DEERFOOT SERIES. By Edward S. Ellis. In 
box containing the following. 3 vols., i2mo. Illus¬ 
trated ..• ’ • • • $3 75 

Hunters of the Ozark. 1 25 

Camp in the Mountains. 1 25 

The Last War Trail. 1 25 

LOG CABIN SERIES. By Edward S. Ellis. 

3 vols., 12mo. Fully illustrated. Cloth, extra, printed 
in colors. In box.$3 75 


( 7 ) 
















































. 1 - 




8 PORTER k COATES’S POPULAR JUVENILES. 

Lost Trail. 

Camp-Fire and Wigwam. 

Footprints in the Forest.. • 

WYOMING SERIES. By Edward S. Ellis. 3 
vols., i2mo. Fully illustrated. Cloth, extra, printed 

in colors. In box... 

Wyoming. 

Storm Mountain. 

Cabin in the Clearing. 

New Books by Edward S. Ellis. 

Through Forest and Fire. i2mo. Cloth . . . 
On the Trail of the Moose. i2mo. Cloth . . 



1 25 
1 25 


By C. A. Stephens. 


Rare books for boys—bright, breezy, wholesome and instructive; full of 
adventure and incident, and information upon natural history. They blend 
instruction with amusement—contain much useful and valuable information 
upon the habits of animals, and plenty of adventure, fun and jollity. 

CAMPING OUT SERIES. By C. A. Stephens. 

6 vols., i2mo. Fully illustrated. Cloth, extra, printed 

in colors. In box.$7 50 

Camping Out. As recorded by “ Kit ”. 1 25 

Left on Labrador; or The Cruise of the Schooner 

Yacht “ Curfew." As recorded by “ Wash” .... 1 25 

Off to the Geysers ; or, The Young Yaehters in Ice¬ 
land. As recorded by‘‘Wade”. I 25 

Lynx Hunting. From Notes by the author of 

“ Camping Out ”... 1 25 

Fox Hunting. As recorded by “ Raed ”. 1 25 

On the Amazon ; or, The Cruise of the “ Rambler.” 

As recorded by “ Wash ”. 1 25 


By J. T. Trowbridge. 


These stories will rank among the best of Mr. Trowbridge's books for th« 
young—and he has written some of the best of our juvenile literature. 

JACK HAZARD SERIES. By J. T. Trowbridge. 

6 vols., i2mo. Fully Illustrated. Cloth, extra, printed 
in colors. In box 


t 


* 


50 




















PORTER & COATES’S POPULAR JUVENILES. 9 

Jack Hazard and His Fortunes.#i 25 

A Chance for Himself; or, Jack Hazard and his 

Treasure. 1 25 

Doing His Best. 1 25 

Fast Friends. 1 25 

The Young Surveyor; cr, Jack on the Prairies . 1 25 

Lawrence’s Adventures Among the Ice Cut¬ 
ters, Glass Makers, Coal Miners, Iron Men and Ship 
Builders. 1 25 

—GOOD BOOKS- 

Suitablefor Girls between the Ages of 12 and 15 . 
Ways and Means. A Story for girls. By Mar¬ 
garet Vandegrift. With four illustrations. i2mo. 

Cloth, extra .. 1 2 5 

The Queen’s Body-Guard. A Story for Girls. By 
Margaret Vandegrift. With four illustrations. i2mo. 

Cloth, extra . . 1 2 5 

Rose Raymond’s Wards. A Story for Girls. By 
Margaret Vandegrift. Illustrated with four engravings 

on wood. i2mo. Cloth, extra.; . . . 1 2 5 

Doris and Theodora. A Story for Girls. By Mar¬ 
garet Vandegrift. Illustrated with four engravings on 

wood. i2mo. Cloth, extra. 1 2 5 

Dr. Gilbert’s Daughters. A Story for Girls. By 
Margaret Harriet Mathews. Illustrated with four en¬ 
gravings on wood. i2mo. Cloth, extra. 1 2 S 

Esther’s Fortune. A Romance for Girls. By Lucy 
C. Lillie. Illustrated. i2mo. Cloth, extra, brown 

and gold. 1 25 

Helen Glenn ; or, My Mother’s Enemy. A Story for 
Girls. By Lucy C. Lillie. Illustrated with eight illus¬ 
trations. l2mo. Cloth, extra.. . I 25 

The Squire’s Daughter. By Lucy C. Lillie. i2mo. 

Illustrated. Cloth, extra. I 25 

For Honor’s Sake. By Lucy C. Lillie. i2mo. 

Illustrated. Cloth, extra. 125 

Marion Berkley. A Story for Girls. By Lizzie B. 
Comins (Laura Caxton). i2mo. Illustrated. Cloth, 

extra, brown and gold. I 25 

Hartwell Farm. A Story for Girls. By Lizzie B. 
Comins (Laura Caxton). i2mo. Illustrated. Cloth, 
extra^ brown and gold . . .. I 25 



















J 


THE HANDSOMEST AND CHEAPEST GIFT BOOKS. 

‘“j^ells” 3 eries ‘ 


The “ BELLS " Series has been undertaken by the publishers with a view 
to issue original illustrated poems of a high character, at a price within the 


reach of all classes. 

Small ..5° 

Ivory surface. i 50 

Embossed calf, gilt edges. 1 50 


GEMS FROM TENNYSON. 

By Alfred Tennyson. Elegantly illustrated by Hammatt Billings. 

BEAUTIES OF TENNYSON. 

By Alfred Tennyson. Elegantly illustrated with twenty engravings, from 
original drawings by Frederic B. Schell. Beautifully printed on the finest 
plate paper. 

FROM GREENLAND’S ICY MOUNTAINS. 

By Bishop Heber. Elegantly illustrated with twenty-two engravings, from 
original drawings by Frederic B. Schell. Beautifully printed on the finest 
plate paper. 

LADY CLARE. 

By Alfred Tennyson. Elegantly illustrated with twenty-two engravings, 
from original drawings by Alfred Fredericks, F. S. Church, Harry Fenn, 
F. B. Schell, E. P. Garret and Granville Perkins. Beautifully printed on 
the finest plate paper. 

THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS. 

By Clement C. Moore. Never before has this popular poem—a favorite 
with both the old and the young—been presented in such a beautiful dress. 
It is elegantly illustrated with twenty-two engravings, from original draw¬ 
ings by F. B. Schell, W. T. Smedley, A. Fredericks and H. R. Poore. 

BINGEN ON THE RHINE. 

By Caroline E. Norton. Elegantly illustrated with twenty-two en¬ 
gravings, from original drawings by W. T. Smedley, F. B. Schell, A. 
Fredericks, Granville Perkins and E. P. Garrett. 

THE BELLS. 

By Edgar Allan Poe. Elegantly illustrated with twenty-two engravings, 
from original drawings by F. O. C. Darley, A. Fredericks, Granville 
Perkins and others. 

THE DESERTED VILLAGE. 

By Oliver Goldsmith. Elegantly illustrated with thirty-five engravings, 
from drawings by Hammatt Billings. 

THE COTTER’S SATURDAY NIGHT. 

By Robert Burns. Elegantly illustrated with fifty engravings, from draw* 
ings by Chapman. 


zo 






^Stanbarb fjfistories. 


History of England, from the Accession of 
James the Second. By Thomas Babington 
Macaulay. Standard edition. With a steel portrait 
of the author Printed from new electrotype plates 
from the last English edition. Being by far the most 
correct edition in the American market. 5 vols., 

l2mo. Cloth, extra, per set. 

Sheep, marbled edges, per set. 

Half Russia (imitation), marbled edges. 

Half calf, gilt. 


$5 00 
7 50 
7 50 

10 00 


History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman 
Empire. By Edward Gibbon. With notes by Rev. 
H. H. Milman. Standard edition. To which is 
added a complete Index of the work. A new edition 
from entirely new stereotype plates. With portrait on 


steel. 5 vols., i2mo. Cloth, extra, per set. 5 00 

Sheep, marbled edges, per set. 7 50 

Half Russia (imitation), marbled edges,. 7 50 

Half calf, gilt, per set.10 00 


History of England, from the Invasion of 
Julius Caesar to the Abdication of James 
the Second, 1688 . By David Hume. Standard 
edition. With the author’s last corrections and im¬ 
provements, to which is prefixed a short account of his 
life, written by himself. With a portrait on steel. A 
new edition from entirely new stereotype plates. 5 


vols., i2mo. Cloth, extra, per set. 5 00 

Sheep, marbled edges, per set.7 50 

Half Russia (imitation), marbled edge.;. 7 5 ° 

Half calf, gilt , , . ... , , . 10 00 


11 















^Djjiscellaneous. 


A Dictionary of the Bible. Comprising its An¬ 
tiquities, Biography, Geography, Natural History and 
Literature. Edited by William Smith, LL.D. Re¬ 
vised and adapted to the present use of Sunday-school 
Teachers and Bible Students by Revs. F. N. and 
M. A. Peloubet. With eight colored maps and 440 


engravings on wood. 8vo. Cloth, extra. $2 00 

Sheep, marbled edges. 3.00 

Half morocco, gilt top.. 35 ° 


History of the Civil War in America. By the 

Comte de Paris. Translated with the approval of the 
author. With maps faithfully engraved from the origi¬ 
nals, and printed in three colors. 8vo. 


Cloth, extra, per vol. 3 5 ° 

Red cloth, extra, Roxburgh style, uncut edges, per vol. 3 50 

Sheep, library style, per vol. 4 5 ° 

Half Turkey morocco, per vol. 6 00 

Volumes I, II, III and IV now ready, put up in a neat 
box, or any volume sold separately. 

The Battle of Gettysburg. By the Comte de Paris. 

With maps. 8vo. Cloth, extra. 1 50 


Comprehensive Biographical Dictionary. Em¬ 
bracing accounts of the most eminent persons of all 
ages, nations and professions. By E. A. Thomas. 


Crown 8vo. 

Cloth, extra, gilt top. 2 50 

Sheep, marbled edges.. 3 00 

Half morocco, gilt top.. 3 50 

Half Russia, gilt top. 4 50 


The Amateur Photographer. A manual of photo¬ 
graphic manipulations intended especially for begin¬ 
ners and amateurs, with suggestions as to the choice of 
apparatus and. of processes. By Ellerslie Wallace, 

Jr., M.D. New edition, with two new chapters on 
paper negatives and microscopic photography. i2mo. 

Limp morocco, sprinkled edges .. 1 00 



















1 













































































